NOW - Part II: Revelations
by Riot's Lair
Summary: The world gets its first glimpse of music's new "IT" couple, driving Pizzazz to insanity and mischief. Discoveries are made, secrets are exposed, and a shocking admission is finally made.
1. Chapters 1-3

**CHAPTER ONE**

"Good morning, Lela," Jerrica smiled as she exited the elevator at Starlight Music.

"Good morning, Jerrica, I mean, Miss Benton," Lela greeted her. At 17, Lela was the eldest Starlight girl and about to enter her senior year of high school in the fall. With the other girls going off to camp for eight weeks, she opted to stay home for the summer and intern at Starlight Music. It was perfect timing as Jerrica's secretary, Susan, was on maternity leave and a summer internship at a company like Starlight would look great on Lela's college application.

Jerrica giggled. It was Lela's first week on the job and knew she took her responsibilities as an intern seriously. "Please hold all my calls for the next hour or so," Jerrica directed her as she dashed from the elevators to her office. "I don't want to be disrupted."

"Will do, Miss Benton," Lela replied.

Like most days around Starlight Music, Jerrica was running in and out of the office, going from meeting to meeting, and of course, going back and forth between being herself and the Holograms' fearless leader, Jem. Today was no different as her morning began on the set of Los Angeles' hottest new talk show with the Holograms giving a performance to kick-off the long holiday weekend. The Holograms were scheduled to be in the recording studio after lunch until 4:00, and then it was off to get ready for the Countess' big party that evening. This meant Jerrica had only three hours to get through an entire day's work. "I could use a vacation now," she mumbled thinking about her busy day as she entered her office and quickly got settled at her desk.

Suddenly there was a knock at her door. "Excuse me, Miss Benton," it was Lela.

"You can call me Jerrica, Lela," she laughed.

Lela coyly smiled. "I know you said not to disrupt you, but I thought you'd like to see these sooner than later," she said bringing in a large bouquet of red roses.

"They're beautiful," Jerrica marveled. "Who are they from?" she inquired.

"The delivery man didn't say who, but I think you know," Lela smiled, turning to leave.

"Thank you, Lela," Jerrica replied, opening the card.

 _Thinking of you & looking forward to this evening. –Rory_

Jerrica blushed as she felt a wave of butterflies in her stomach. It had been a month since the fateful night of the concert, which changed her relationship with the Stingers' lead singer forever. Since their return from Rome, Jerrica and Riot kept their relationship under the radar as much as possible. They didn't purposefully try to hide it, but they also didn't try to flaunt it either. Some gossip circles still had him pegged with Jem. Despite no longer having any feelings for Rio, she still thought of him as a friend and didn't want to hurt him with the sudden news of her "new" relationship so soon after rejecting his proposal. After all, he still didn't know the truth about Jem's real identity.

Even Riot's parents were kept in the dark, only being told by their son that Jem was just a friend and that he started seeing someone else a little more seriously. The only people who knew about Jerrica and Riot were the Holograms and Stingers, much to Aja's disapproval. While she knew that Riot had changed for the better and was no longer the arrogant lothario she first met, she still didn't trust him a hundred percent. In addition, her loyalties as a friend remained with Rio.

Nevertheless, the world would have its first view of the new couple that evening as Jerrica and Riot would arrive together on the red carpet of the Countess' party. They knew it was only a matter of time before the media got wind of their romance, "so why not reveal it under their terms?" Riot had said. He was right, but Jerrica still felt a bit apprehensive about letting the world in on her second biggest secret, the first being Jem's true identity. It wasn't that she wanted to keep _them_ a secret. She just didn't want the media circus following them around as they had done with all great power couples of the past. She enjoyed her private life and wanted to keep her life private. For the past three years, Jem had taken the brunt of the media attention away from Jerrica. But after tonight, Jerrica knew her life wouldn't be the same. Being on Riot's arm wasn't the same as being on Rio's arm. Being Jerrica Benton was one thing, but being Riot's girlfriend was an entirely new world for her. A world she was ready for, but still nervous about taking on.

There was also one minor detail she hadn't figured out yet. While Riot knew the truth about her identity, she still kept him in the dark about Synergy. How was she going to pull off a red carpet appearance as herself and as Jem without putting Synergy to work? She had to use Synergy. But how was she going to explain to him about being able to see Jem and Jerrica within seconds of each other when he knew they were the same person? She couldn't change that fast.

Jerrica sat thoughtfully at her desk trying to figure out logistics for that evening. It was a lot easier when he didn't know the truth, she thought. She sighed.

 **CHAPTER TWO**

"Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?" Riot purred, planting a delicate kiss on her hand.

Jerrica blushed. "Just about a hundred times," she teased, dressed in a dazzling, figure-hugging black cocktail dress with a sequined strapless sweetheart neckline and faux feather skirt, accentuated with a crystal studded silver belt and matching silver Manolo Blahnik pumps. Her newly highlighted blonde tresses were curled and swept to side. It was 1980s flair with 1930s elegance. Jerrica rocked it flawlessly.

"Well, let me say it again, you look beautiful," he replied as they sat in his silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5, awaiting their turn on the red carpet at the Countess' estate. The motorcade of limousines, sports cars, and luxury sedans wrapped around the block from the massive Bel-Air mansion. Jerrica and Riot's was near the front of the line where a frenzy of flashbulbs would go off after each car drove away. Minx and Rapture each rode separately with their dates, and were in the two cars in front of them. "Are you ready?" he asked as he pulled up to the front of the line.

"Ready as I'll ever be!" she grinned. Her nerves were a bit more relaxed than earlier in the day. The Holograms decided at the last minute to skip the red carpet and make a dazzling first appearance on stage. Jerrica could breathe a sigh of relief as she no longer had to figure out how make two red carpet appearances – one as herself with Riot and the other as Jem with the Holograms.

Riot exited first to the screams of awaiting fans. He wore a black tuxedo jacket with tails and a buttoned down, silver shirt with ruffles, black leather pants and gray snakeskin shoes. He waived to the crowd as he handed his key to the valet and proceeded to open the passenger door. He held his hand out for her to take as she exited from the car. The crowd gasped.

"It's Jerrica Benton!" one fan yelled, much to the crowd's surprise. Many had expected his pink haired Holograms counterpart.

"What happened to Jem?" yelled a reporter.

Jerrica knew they would expect Jem, if not some gorgeous supermodel or Hollywood celebrity, but she didn't know just how she would feel upon hearing the whispers in the crowd. Whispers that wondered why he was there with _her_ and not the _other_ her. After all, Jem seemed more of his type.

He leaned in to tell her just how beautiful she looked once more, but the sea of flashbulbs and whispers quickly engulfed all her senses, halting Jerrica in her designer Manolos. Riot instantly sensed her apprehension. Ignoring the buzz about Jem's whereabouts, he took her hand as his fingers intertwined with hers, signifying a more intimate gesture, and guided her down the red carpet. "Are you alright, my love?" he whispered.

"I guess I'm just not as prepared to do this as I thought," she whispered back.

"You've walked the red carpet several times before," he pointed out.

"As Jem," she replied.

"You _are_ Jem," he reminded her. "You may not have the pink hair right now, but that persona is _you_ ," he smiled.

He was right. She wasn't dressed as Jem at that moment, but she was still _that_ person. Encouraged by his words, Jerrica channeled her inner rock star, ignoring any negativity she heard and felt, and replacing it with the confidence and jubilance that Jem would normally emit on the red carpet. She let go of Riot's hand and walked up to the sea of photographers eager to document her haute couture. Riot stepped away and marveled as he watched her play the crowd.

After a couple more solo poses, Jerrica turned to her date and gestured for him to join. He happily obliged, wrapping his arm around her waist as if to tell the world that she was his. Hollywood had met its new "it" couple and news of the new pair spread like wildfire.

 **CHAPTER THREE**

"It's on, you guys!" Stormer shouted from the couch in the TV room at the Gabor mansion.

"Why do you want to watch this trash for?" Pizzazz, leader of the Misfits, asked.

"Because it's fun to make fun of the losers on this show," Roxie chimed in.

"You're just mad you weren't invited to this shindig, Pizzazz," Jetta, the Misfits' British saxophonist, added.

For the last three years, the Misfits were the Holograms' biggest music rivals. In the last few months, however, they were replaced by the Stingers. It didn't help that their manager, Eric Raymond, had suddenly disappeared, leaving Riot to take complete control of the reins at Stingers Sound. With Riot in charge, the Stingers became the hottest new band in town and rivaled the Holograms in popularity, much to Pizzazz's dismay. To make matters worse, Pizzazz had finally admitted defeat when it came to Riot's heart, not that she had a snowball's chance in July for that to happen anyway. She tried hard to win him over, but it was obvious he was madly in love with Jem.

"Mad?" Pizzazz laughed. "I'm not mad. Who would want to be at that lousy party anyways?" she asked, trying hard to hide her bitterness.

"You guys, look!" Stormer exclaimed, pointing to the TV. It was coverage of Riot and Jerrica's red carpet arrival. Pizzazz's jaw dropped. "They look gorgeous," Stormer marveled.

"I thought he was pining after Jem?" Jetta mused.

"She must have been terrible in the sack," Roxie snickered.

"Pizzazz, are you okay?" Stormer, the most compassionate of the Misfits, asked.

"I'ma, I'ma –" the Misfits' lead singer stuttered.

"You're a what?" Roxie asked, trying to snap her out of shock.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Pizzazz screamed like a banshee.

"She meant she was going to scream," Jetta replied, mocking her bandmate.

"What is Riot doing with _her_?!" Pizzazz shrieked, still in complete shock over what just unfolded on TV. "Jem, I could kind of understand," she pondered as she slowly came to, "I still don't see what he saw in her, but at least she had something in common with him. But Jerrica Benton?" she yelled. "What on earth could be so special about someone as plain as _her_?" she continued.

"I wouldn't call her plain, Pizzazz," Stormer interjected. "She does run her own music company," she pointed out.

"What are you saying, Stormer? I'm not smart enough for him because I don't run my own music company? She wouldn't even have a music company if her daddy hadn't given it to her!" Pizzazz was seething.

"Didn't her dad die?" Roxie bluntly replied.

"Yeah, so? Why does that matter?" Pizzazz snidely remarked.

"Well, he didn't really give it to her then," the guitarist indicated.

"Uhh!" Pizzazz continued to shriek. "Who cares how she got the company?" she replied rhetorically. "How did _she_ get _him_?" a puzzled Pizzazz yelled.

The three other Misfits looked at each other dumbfounded. They really didn't care why Riot was with Jerrica, nor did it affect them other than how it affected Pizzazz.

After a moment of silence, their fearless leader perked up. "Girls, put on your best outfits, we have a party to crash!" she mischievously grinned.


	2. Chapters 4-7

**CHAPTER FOUR**

The Countess' party was underway. The red carpet had closed as all the guests had arrived and were mingling on the estate grounds, sipping on Veuve Cliquot, and feasting on caviar and steak tartare amongst a vast array of party fare. Sheer tents, thin enough to see the stars, stood throughout the Countess' massive garden. The fountain lights were bright enough to see from the sky. A slew of big name musicians were slated to entertain the crowd, including the Stingers and a surprise performance from Jem and the Holograms. It was like a scene from the Great Gatsby – a romantic Hollywood night with the biggest names in music and film in attendance.

Jerrica and Riot were in the thick of making their customary rounds, greeting friends and acquaintances. Fortunately, very little questions were asked as to how they became a couple, much to their relief. It was as if everyone received a memo beforehand. Riot was deep in conversation with Anthony Julien, film director and Shana's boyfriend, when Jerrica spotted an old friend.

"I'll be right back," she whispered to Riot. "Excuse me, Anthony," she then said to her friend.

"Of course," the two gentlemen replied as Jerrica wandered away.

"Video!" Jerrica cried to her longtime friend.

"Jerrica, hi!" Video replied, leaning in to hug her. "I see you've been busy lately," she smiled, motioning to Riot.

"Never in a million years did I think _this_ would happen," she confided.

"And Jem's okay with it?" Video reluctantly asked.

Jerrica paused. "We have her blessing," she thoughtfully replied. Video smiled. "Now, I have some ideas I wanted to run by you," she said, changing the subject.

As Jerrica and Video continued with their conversation, Riot turned to look her way from a distance. He watched as she carried herself with grace, charm, and sophistication. Her intellect radiated as brightly as her beauty. He was ridiculously smitten by her. Now, knowing she was the person behind Jem even made him fall harder for her. She was the complete package.

"Riot? Earth to Riot?" Anthony repeated, holding a glass of Champagne for him to take.

The Stinger snapped out of his trance. "I'm sorry, Anthony," he replied, taking the flute from him.

"I turn for one second to grab some more Champagne, and you go off to dreamland," he teased his friend. Riot blushed subtly. "You've got it bad for her, don't you?" Anthony bluntly asked with a smirk on his face.

"Is it _that_ obvious?" he smiled, taking a sip from his flute as he took one more glimpse of her.

"Go!" Anthony exclaimed. "We can talk business later. Go join your lady," he ordered him. Riot gladly followed.

"I think that we –," Video stopped in midsentence as Riot appeared behind Jerrica. The Starlight CEO turned to see what caught Video's attention.

"Riot!" Jerrica exclaimed upon seeing him.

"My lovely," he replied, gently planting a kiss on her cheek and placing his hand around her waist. "Video, how very nice to see you," he greeted her, giving her a polite nod.

"Very nice to see you too, Riot," she blushed. His mere existence managed to make any woman swoon.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," he replied.

"We were just discussing some marketing videos for the upcoming album," Jerrica quickly filled him in.

"Wonderful!" Riot smiled.

"Let's set up a meeting later this week and we can go over the details more," Video suggested. "I have to get my equipment setup to film the performances."

"Great, we'll talk later," she replied as Video turned to make her way to the stage.

"Do you ever slow down?" Riot teased her.

"What do you mean?" Jerrica asked.

"Don't you ever just let go of everything you need to do and take the opportunity to seize what you _want_ to do?" he clarified.

Jerrica paused, unsure of how to respond. "I know I'm a notorious workaholic," she began. "But, I just can't help it sometimes," she admitted.

"You're a hard worker, Jerrica Benton," he asserted, taking her flute from her hand and giving their glasses to the waiter passing by. "I admire that," he added. "But as long as you're with me, I'm going to make sure you take time to relish in the moment as well," he smiled, grabbing her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

Jerrica hesitated. "I have to meet with the girls before the performance," she reasoned.

"Nonsense," he rejected her excuse. "You have time for one dance," he mischievously smiled. "Now, Miss Benton, may I have this dance?"

She smiled knowing she couldn't say no. "Yes, you may, Mr. Llewellyn," she beamed from ear to ear as the band began to play a slow melody.

"Yes, you look wonderful tonight," he softly sang in her ear. She blushed, trying hard not to melt into his arms at that moment.

All eyes on the dance floor turned to the new couple. Soon they were the only ones left as the other guests had stopped to watch them, including one guest in the distance. As he turned to leave, he bumped into Minx.

"Hey, watch it!" she barked. As she looked over to see who had the audacity to bump into her, she gasped. "Rio?!"

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

"Good evening, friends!" the Countess greeted her guests from the stage. "Thank you all for coming tonight. I have a special night planned for all of you. So please, don't be afraid to indulge in a little Champagne and caviar, and enjoy the evening!" she laughed. "Now, please welcome my very good friends, Jem and the Holograms!" The crowd cheered as five spotlights turned on to reveal Kimber, Shana, Aja, Raya, and finally Jem as they began to sing _Music is Magic_.

Riot broke away from a group he had been chatting with and gave the Holograms his undivided attention. He was just as enchanted by Jem as the first time he laid eyes on her at the Rock Hard Café, more so now knowing what he knew. Jem turned his way and their eyes locked in with one another. She smiled. He smiled. It was as if they were taunting their secret to the rest of the world.

"It looks like Jerrica didn't steal you away completely," a familiar voice said from behind. Riot turned to see that it was Pizzazz.

"How did you get in here?" he snidely asked.

"Well, nice to see you too, Boss," she replied. "I can see you and the pink-haired princess still have a thing for each other despite you parading around with _her_ boss," she laughed. "Now what is it with those two? First Rio, now _you_?" she mocked him.

Riot took a deep breath, trying to calm his building anger. "If you came here to cause a scene, Pizzazz, I will have you escorted out of here faster than your last single dropped out of the charts," he mocked her right back.

"There, there," she gently patted him on the chest. He hastily pushed her hand away. "Didn't mean to disturb the lion. I promise, I won't cause a scene," she haughtily replied as she walked away.

Heated, Riot wanted to notify security of the unwanted party crashers. Although he had only seen Pizzazz, he knew the rest of her band of miscreants weren't too far away. However, he knew trying to get the Misfits out of there would definitely cause a scene. Perhaps she would keep her word and would actually behave, or so he thought. Plus, he couldn't pull his eyes off Jem.

As the Holograms were finishing their second song, _I've Got My Eye On You,_ it was his cue to get ready as the Stingers would take the stage after their final song, _Midsummer Night's Madness_. Rapture was already waiting for her bandmates when Riot arrived.

"Where's Minx?" he asked.

"Probably flirting with some guy she just met," Rapture thought. "Her date is a bust." Minx had agreed to come as Jordan Lyon's date. After the melee at the Hollywood Bowl during LYNX's performance, Starlight and Stingers Sound needed something else for the press to write about to take the spotlight off the security breech. Riot drummed up the idea of a faux coupling between the group's lead singer and a female member of another popular band. Since the rest of the Holograms were off limits, Rapture refused, and he wouldn't dare ask the Misfits for any favors, he bribed Minx into it with a set of new state of the art synthesizers.

Riot sighed. "She has five minutes," he sharply replied. His fellow bandmates always found ways to unintentionally agitate him. Nevertheless, he still loved them. They were the sisters he never had. As long as they fulfilled their obligations as members of the Stingers, he gladly looked away from their imperfections as human beings.

"There she is," Rapture perked up as Minx came around the corner of one of the tents.

"Riot, I have to talk to you," she muttered as she caught her breath.

"Not now, Minx," he retorted. "We can talk after the performance," he instructed her.

"But –," she tried to get a word in only to be interrupted by the Holograms leaving the stage.

Riot motioned for Minx and Rapture to head up to the stage ahead of him, passing the Holograms on the stairs along the way. "Ladies," he greeted them with a smile. "A wonderful performance, as always," he complimented.

A series of "thank you, Riot" followed.

Jem was the last one off as Minx and Rapture disappeared into the dimly lit stage. Not a drop of sweat appeared on her face as she beamed with jubilation. Their eyes locked once more. Without saying a word to one another, they smiled and hastily scanned the area for onlookers before leaning in for a quick passionate kiss. Kimber gave a low whistle. Jem blushed. The Holograms laughed.

"Knock them off their feet," she said to him, as he got ready to take the stage for their own performance.

"I always do," he smiled.

Within seconds of Riot disappearing on stage, the Countess took to the microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Stingers!" she announced, followed by a thunderous roar of cheers from the crowd. The Holograms could hear Rapture's guitar from the distance. They had quickly ran back to the mansion to freshen up before rejoining the party and taking in the rest of the Stingers' performance.

Just as Jem was about to enter the house, she was stopped by an unexpected guest. "Rio!" she exclaimed.

"Hi, Jem," he softly replied.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you went back to San Francisco."

"I finished up the project early," he explained. "I thought about leaving Los Angeles for good, but wanted to see you one more time."

"For good?" Jem repeated as a wave of guilt overcame her. Rio nodded. "Look, Rio," she sighed. "I didn't mean for things to end the way they did," she began.

"I figured," he interrupted. "That's why I wanted to see you."

"You did?" Jem was surprised. After their encounter at the concert, she didn't think Rio would ever want to see her again.

"I thought I would see if we could possibly have a chance together," he confessed. "It looks like Riot and Jerrica have moved on," he spitefully remarked.

Guilt, sympathy, and agitation – Jem could feel all those emotions whirling inside her at that moment. She knew she should have told Rio the truth a long time ago, but now that they were no longer together, she saw no point in telling him. It would only make him more hurt and angry than he already was, but she needed him to move on so she could stop feeling guilty for hiding secrets from him for so long and then finding love with someone else.

"I've moved on," she bluntly replied, not knowing what else to say.

Shocked by her answer, the hurt she once saw in Riot's eyes appeared in his. "With?" he managed to ask, reluctant to hear the truth.

"With whom is not important," she answered, trying not to look him in the eye.

"I see," he murmured. "I guess that's the new thing to do these days, just forget the feelings you had for someone and move on to the next exciting thing to come along. That's what you did when Mr. Macho came to town. Now that you two have grown tired of each other, he moves on with Jerrica and you move on with whomever it is keeping your bed warm these days," he spitefully added.

"How dare you insult Jerrica and me like that, Rio?" Jem was appalled. "You have no idea what happened between Riot and me," she exclaimed. "And you don't need to look any further than your own reflection to see how Jerrica ended up with him!"

"I think I have a pretty good idea," he remarked.

"I don't think you do and you certainly have no clue where your relationship with Jerrica went wrong if you think you had no hand in it," she scornfully added.

"Well, I guess there's nothing more to say," he angrily replied, storming away.

Jem watched as he disappeared into the darkness, trying to calm down from her encounter with Rio. She was angry at him, but blamed herself more for his anger. She couldn't help but wonder just how differently things might have been had she told him the truth.

Suddenly, the Holograms appeared at the doorway. "We're heading back to the party," Kimber informed her sister. Jem was distant. "Earth to Jem?" she said.

"Sorry, Kimber," she replied.

"Are you okay," the bubbly Benton asked.

"Yeah," Jem answered, snapping out of her thoughts. "Just give me one second," she said and she disappeared behind a column and reappeared as Jerrica. "Now I'm ready!" she exclaimed, trying to bury the guilt burning inside her.

The Holograms, now with Jerrica instead of Jem, rejoined the party just as the Stingers were about to perform their last song. "Is it just me, or is there a little love in the air tonight?" Riot charismatically asked the crowd, creating a wave of whistles, cheers and yeses. "Well," he smiled as he caught sight of Jerrica approaching the stage, "this song goes out to those feeling like they've found their perfect match!"

He locked eyes with Jerrica again as the Stingers began to sing _Perfect Match_. She smiled knowing that song was directed at her. She felt like the luckiest woman on earth at that moment. Who wouldn't want Riot serenading her with love songs? Unfortunately, thoughts of Rio plagued her mind. If only she didn't care for him as a friend. However, she did and it tore her heart up knowing she, both as Jem and as herself, caused him so much pain.

"Enjoy it while you can, Toots," a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Pizzazz?!" she replied. "How did you get in here?" she questioned her.

"Everyone seems to be wondering that tonight," she mischievously laughed.

"What are _you_ up to?" Jerrica spitefully asked.

"I just wanted to give you my blessing," she haughtily replied. Jerrica was dumbfounded. "Once Jem wants him back, he'll go running back to her," she taunted her.

Jerrica was livid. But the truth kept her calm, knowing that Pizzazz was just trying to get her to make a scene and humiliate her in front of all those people. If Pizzazz couldn't have Riot, she sure as hell wouldn't make life easy for the one who did have him.

Aja caught a glimpse of Jerrica and Pizzazz's encounter in the distance. "Oh no, look!" she said to the rest of the Holograms. "I see trouble." The four Holograms approached to diffuse the situation.

"What are you doing, Pizzazz?" Kimber confronted her.

"I'm just leaving," she smirked. "Enjoy your night, Ladies," she snickered as she turned to leave. All five of the Holograms watched as she disappeared into the night.

Pizzazz hurriedly left the estate and got into a red Porsche parked around the corner from the mansion. "What took you so long?" an annoyed Jetta asked.

"Relax," she told off her bandmate. "Did you get it?" she said turning to Roxie. The white haired guitarist showed her a Polaroid. "Perfect! Just perfect!" Pizzazz laughed.

 **CHAPTER SIX**

 _Perfect match!_

The crowd roared. Riot, Minx, and Rapture took one final bow before heading off the stage. Beads of sweat dripped off Riot's face as he caught his breath. While the Holograms' performance was energizing, the Stingers' performance was electrifying. Riot performed with more charisma and stage presence than ever before.

"Wonderful performance, girls," he said wrapping one arm around each of them. "Now Minx, did you have something to tell me?" Riot reminded her, releasing them from his embrace as he grabbed a bottle of water from the outside bar. They were retreating to the Countess' mansion to freshen up before rejoining the party.

"It's Rio," she answered.

"What about him?" he sneered.

"He was here," she reluctantly replied.

"So? What does that have to do with me?" He pretended not to be bothered with Rio's presence.

"He was looking for Jem," she answered. Riot paused.

"Why would Riot care? He's with Jerrica now," Rapture pointed out.

"As long as he is of no bother to Jerrica, I won't waste a moment of my time worrying about that fool," he bluntly proclaimed. Minx and Rapture bought his "could care less" attitude, but the idea of Rio around did bother him. It wasn't that he was worried about losing Jerrica to him. It was the fact they had so much history together. He knew her parents. Rio had been a part of her life that Riot would never know and _that_ made him jealous.

Once the Stingers were finished at the Countess' house, Minx and Riot promptly rejoined the party, which was close to winding down as many of the guests began to leave after the Stingers' performance. Rapture had already left for the evening with her date, Nigel Bond, an up and coming British actor who shared her love for Houdini and magic. His stardom came on the heels of his last film in which he played a warlock. It was a match made in mystical heaven.

As for Minx, she reluctantly went off to find her date. Being four years older than the 22-year-old lead singer, Minx was more experienced beyond his years and grew bored with him the minute they arrived on the red carpet. The worst part of the evening was having to be around the rest of the group and their dates who were just barely out of their teen years. "You owe me big time for this, Riot!" she reminded him of his bribe as they parted ways.

Riot laughed. "Your sacrifice won't go unappreciated," he reassured her, turning to join Jerrica and her friends.

"There you are!" she greeted him. "I was beginning to think you forgot about me," she teased.

"Never," he whispered in her ear, wrapping his arm around her. "So what have I missed?" he said to the entire group who had immediately stopped chatting upon his arrival. They all stayed silent. "Jerrica?" Riot asked, wondering what it was they didn't want him to hear.

"Pizzazz was here," Aja reluctantly answered. Riot was expressionless.

"You're not surprised?" Jerrica curiously wondered.

"No," he sighed. "I saw her myself."

"Did you talk to her?" she asked.

"Briefly," he glumly replied.

"What did she want?" Shana wondered.

"To cause trouble," Riot and Aja said in unison. They all laughed.

"We all know what Pizzazz wants," Jerrica began. "What she can't have," she explained. "And she'll make a ruckus over it. So let's not have her ruin an otherwise perfect evening," she told her friends as she took a sip of Champagne.

"I can drink to that!" Kimber exclaimed, holding her glass in the air.

"I second my lovely bride-to-be," Sean chimed in, toasting her.

The remainder of the party went smoothly with the only hiccup at the end when Jordan left with the rest of his group without Minx, which greatly agitated the Stinger. It wasn't that she wanted to spend any more time with them. Picking up garbage along the highway seemed like better time spent to her. However, no man ever disrespected her like that. How dare a 22-year-old do that to her? Luckily, Aja and Raya, the only Holograms without a date, saved the day by offering to take the Stinger home.

With the Starlight girls off at camp for the summer and Lela spending the long holiday weekend at her friend's family cabin, the Holograms were left with some much-needed free time to themselves. Anthony had planned a mini getaway with Shana in wine country and were planning on leaving for the long drive first thing in the morning. So Shana stayed the evening at his place. Raya was planning on spending time with her family, and Kimber and Sean were determined to get their wedding planning underway. Aja was the only Hologram without any concrete plans as her boyfriend, Craig Phillips, was still on tour in Europe with his band, the Blue Bloods. She looked at the weekend as an opportunity to have the mansion all to herself knowing that Kimber and Jerrica would be spending time with their significant others.

"Your chariot awaits," Riot said as the valet pulled up in the driveway with his vintage Aston. "Where does my lovely lady wish to go this evening?" he asked. "My place or yours?" he smirked.

"How about we head to Malibu?" she happily suggested as he pulled away from the estate.

"Wonderful idea," he smiled. "Do you mind if we make a little stop first?" he asked.

"Okay," Jerrica reluctantly replied, wondering what he had in mind. It had been a long day and an even longer evening. She was eager to get home and into something more comfortable than her haute couture.

Within minutes, Riot pulled up in front of the massive accordion harp on the beach. "Do you remember taking me here when we first met?" he asked.

"How could I forget?" she replied, watching him exit the car first to open the door for her. His chivalry was something she needed getting used to. She didn't mind it at all. It certainly was very romantic, but something she was never used to with Rio.

Riot extended his hand for her to take and led the way to the harp. "Are you cold?" he asked. Jerrica nodded as he then proceeded to take off his tuxedo jacket and wrap it around her. It was a typically warm Southern California evening, but the breeze off the coast gave way to a little chill.

"What made you think of this place?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "Tonight made me think of that first night I started to fall in love with you –,"

"You mean, Jem?" she interrupted.

" _You_ ," he corrected her. She smiled knowing the sincerity of his words. "Are you alright?" he asked. "You seem a little distant." Jerrica was silent. "Don't let Pizzazz bother you," he implied.

"It wasn't just Pizzazz," she finally managed to say. "I wasn't sure if I should say anything to you –,"

"Jerrica, you can tell me anything," he interrupted, tilting her chin so their eyes could meet.

"I know," she said, "but I didn't want it to ruin your evening."

"What is it?" he asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Rio," she sighed. "He was there too."

"I know," he admitted.

"You saw him?" she asked, wondering if any words were exchanged between them.

"No, but Minx did," he confessed. "I didn't want to say anything to you, especially after Pizzazz." Jerrica was silent again. "Did he say anything to you?" Riot curiously asked.

"Not to _me_ , but Jem," she clarified.

"So Minx was right, he _is_ after Jem," he thought.

"Jem told him she moved on," she interjected.

"Really? With whom?" Riot smiled.

Jerrica playfully nudged him. "No names were mentioned," she explained.

"So that should be the end of that, right?" Riot presumed, looking hopeful. "Is there something more?" he asked her.

"No, but I've been feeling really guilty," she finally admitted.

"Guilty of what?" Riot looked confused.

"That I never told him the truth and not only did I reject him as me, but as Jem too," she explained.

"What are you saying, Jerrica?" Riot wondered if she was having second thoughts about them, and second thoughts about moving on so quickly. He knew there was a lot of history between them.

"What I'm saying is that I feel guilty for causing this much heartache to Rio. I admit, our relationship wasn't the best these last three years, but I never intended to hurt him this way. I've happily moved on with you and he's still pining for someone he can't have, not knowing that person is really me," she replied. Riot was slightly relieved. "I could have ended this a long time ago and told him the truth, but I didn't," she said, sounding regretful.

"Why didn't you?" he bluntly asked.

"I don't know," she mumbled.

"What made you feel like you could tell me, but couldn't tell him? After all, you've known him practically your entire life. If there was one person you could trust, didn't you think it was him?" Riot probed.

Jerrica paused thoughtfully. Perhaps she hadn't trusted him at all. Perhaps she hadn't realized he had lost her trust when Jem came along. If Riot could stay loyal to one woman, why was it so hard for Rio to do the same?

"I was afraid to make the same mistakes with you that I made with him," she cried. "I pushed him away and he found his way back to me, but as Jem. I was confused how to handle that so I did what I thought was best to keep him from becoming angry with me and losing him for good. It just made things worse between us and then I fell in love with you," she continued, pouring her heart out to Riot. "I just didn't want to lose you, that's why I told you when you figured it all out." Jerrica cried even more, realizing that Riot had done what she had hoped Rio would do, but never did. Riot not only proved his loyalty to one woman, but he also saw the real person in Jem. He saw the rock star in Jerrica. Most importantly, he understood her.

Riot immediately put his arms around her, comforting her. "You don't ever have to worry about losing me," he whispered to her. "I won't let you push me away, ever. I meant what I said when I told you we are destined to be together. It'll always be you and me, Jerrica," he reassured her. She smiled as he wiped away her tears. "It's been quite an overwhelming evening, let's get you home," he suggested, leading her back to the car. She nodded in agreement.

 **CHAPTER SEVEN**

"Last call!" the bartender announced.

"I'll have one more," Rio answered just as Pizzazz and her unruly group of friends joyfully wandered in.

"Well look who the cat dragged in," Jetta remarked.

"Looks like the fun hasn't ended yet!" Pizzazz exclaimed, leaving her friends behind to take the seat next to Rio. "Tough night?" she asked him as the bartender placed another shot of Cuervo in front of him.

"What do you want, Pizzazz?" he spitefully asked the green-haired vixen.

"Just thought an old friend could use some comforting," she replied, trying to sound sympathetic.

"I'm doing just fine by myself," he passively responded.

"Are _you_ now?" she second-guessed him. "I wouldn't look so happy either knowing Riot is happily doing what you _used_ to be doing?" Rio gave her a nasty look, wondering what she was implying. "That's right," she continued. "While he's out cavorting with your high school sweetheart in public, he's cheating on her behind her back with Jem. Does that sound familiar?" she taunted him.

Rio hastily knocked back the shot of tequila and slammed the glass on the counter. "I don't know what you're trying to do, Pizzazz, but I don't want to be any part of it!" he scolded her, turning to get up from the bar.

"I'm not trying to do anything," she innocently replied as she dropped a Polaroid right in front of him. "Oops!" she giggled.

He tried to look away but realized the Polaroid was of Riot and Jem. "Where did you get this?" he demanded to know.

"From a friend who was at the Countess' party," she replied. Seeing the anger building in his eyes, Pizzazz threw more fuel to the fire. "Tonight he'll go home with your precious, innocent Jerrica, but who knows who he'll be with tomorrow night?" she casually remarked. "Maybe Jem?"

Rio was livid seeing the photo of Jem kissing Riot from that night. He was even more livid by the idea of Riot taking advantage of Jerrica's naivety, or so he thought, but was skeptical of Pizzazz's motives. "Why do you care about them?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'll be honest with you, Pachecco," Pizzazz buddied up to him. "I want Riot. I've always wanted Riot."

"So you want us to work together, so you can have Riot?" he implied. Pizzazz nodded. "Where does that leave me?"

"Take your pick," she calmly answered. "Once Riot's out of your way, I'm sure Jem _and_ Jerrica will be clamoring for your attention again," she smiled sinisterly.

Although helping Pizzazz was the last thing he wanted to do and doubted if helping her would get Jem or Jerrica back, he couldn't just sit back knowing Riot was playing them for a fool. He still cared for them. He never liked Riot from the moment they met and had zero trust where he was concerned. Even if he didn't end up with one of them, giving Riot a good dose of reality was reason enough for him.

"What do you want me to do?" he turned to Pizzazz.


	3. Chapters 8-10

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

"What are you doing home and what are all these groceries for?" Aja wandered down the stairs just in time to see Jerrica returning home with several shopping bags. "I thought you'd still be with Riot," she wondered, looking at her watch. It was only one o'clock in the afternoon.

"Riot had some damage control to do," she answered. "Some photos surfaced from last night of Minx throwing her shoes at LYNX's limousine," she giggled. "One hit one of the members, Jay Larson, in the head."

"Oh no!" Aja laughed. "Is he okay?"

"I think so," Jerrica laughed. "Riot's working with their public relations team to spin the story without making both sides look bad," she explained.

"And what about all this food?" Aja gawked. "The girls aren't coming home early, are they?"

"No," Jerrica smiled. "I hope you don't mind, but I invited Riot's parents over for dinner tomorrow," she answered.

"No, not at all," Aja replied, looking surprised. "It looks like you guys are getting serious," she commented.

Jerrica smiled. "Oh, I don't know about that," she coyly replied, trying not to let her friend read too much into it. "After last night, we thought it would be a good time to formally _re_ -introduce me," Jerrica explained. "I left a message at Sean's place for him and Kimber to join. I hope you will too," she skeptically mentioned, knowing Aja's reluctance to accept her relationship with the Stinger.

"It sounds like a family thing," the blue-haired guitarist replied.

"Aja, you _are_ family," Jerrica pointed out. "Please?" she sweetly asked. "I think it would give you and Rory a chance to really get to know each other," she continued.

Seeing the importance of tomorrow in Jerrica's eyes, Aja agreed. "Okay, what can I do to help?" she willingly asked.

"For starters, there's a couple more bags in the car," Jerrica giggled. Aja laughed. "Here!" Jerrica handed her a pair of keys.

Aja noticed they weren't hers. "Yeah, it's not serious," she teased holding up keys to his Aston Martin.

"It's just a car," Jerrica replied, downplaying his gesture. "I didn't have mine with me and he needed to go to the office, so I dropped him off at his place to get his other car." His Jaguar was no joke either, but everyone in Hollywood knew his vintage Aston was his baby.

As Aja returned with the rest of the groceries, Kimber suddenly returned home. "Back so soon?" Aja greeted her.

"Sean and I were having lunch at Palisades Square when we spotted this!" Kimber held up the latest edition of _Hollywood Tales_ , the new celebrity gossip rag. On the front cover was a picture of Jem kissing Riot at the Countess' party from the night before.

Jerrica's jaw drop. "How did they get this?" She was stunned.

"I don't know," Kimber replied, "But everyone is now talking about it. Sean and I had to leave once they realized who I was," Kimber revealed.

"Who could have done this?" Aja wondered.

"Pizzazz," Jerrica and Kimber bluntly answered in unison.

"I should have known she was up to something," Jerrica mused. "She likes causing trouble, but she barely made a scene last night. Now I know why. I have to call Riot," she said, quickly running towards the phone.

Across town at Stingers Sound, Riot sat at his desk ruminating deeply in his thoughts. He had just finished meeting with his public relations team on spinning the story about Minx and the limo incident when a photo on his desk caught his eye. It was of him and Jerrica in front of the Trevi Fountain on their final night in Rome last month. He remembered throwing the coin behind his back and into the Trevi, wishing Jerrica would be at his side the next time he returned to the Eternal City. It was that night that he saw his future with her in it forever. He happily allowed himself to sink into his memories of Rome until it was rudely interrupted by the phone.

"Oh, who could that be on a Saturday?" he mumbled to himself. He thought about letting the answering machine pick up until he realized only Jerrica, Minx and his PR team knew he was in the office that day. "Hello?" he quickly answered in his sultry voice just as Jerrica was about to hang up.

"Hi," she answered with a bit of reluctance in her voice.

"Jerrica, what's wrong?" he asked.

"We have a problem," she bluntly replied. "There are photos of you and me on the front page of _Hollywood Tales_ all over town."

"Ok-aaay," he replied, wondering what exactly what the problem was. They both knew this was to be expected when they made their first public appearance together.

"But it's me as Jem," she clarified, much to his grief.

"But how?" he managed to say. "I barely kissed you for two seconds."

"Pizzazz," she reminded him.

"Of course," he glumly replied. Riot hated himself for not notifying security of her presence.

"What are we going to do?" Jerrica sighed.

"The only thing we can do," he replied. "Deny it. It's only a picture. There's no time or date on it, is there?"

"No," she answered.

"I'll deny it, Jem will deny it. We'll say it happened several months ago when I first came to town. I'll get my PR team to issue a statement right away," he continued.

Jerrica agreed. "I'll have Starlight issue a statement on Jem's behalf to corroborate your press release," she replied.

"That sounds like a plan," he sighed. "My parents are looking forward to tomorrow," he added, trying to bring something positive into the call.

"I am too," she replied, sounding more upbeat than earlier.

"Don't worry, Jerrica. We can handle this," he assured her.

"I know we can," she replied as the two said their goodbyes over the phone.

"So? What did he say?" Kimber eagerly asked.

"Stingers Sound will issue a statement on his behalf and Starlight will issue a statement on Jem's behalf, both stating that the photo was taken a long time ago," she explained.

"Well, that sounds easy," Kimber replied.

"A little too easy if you ask me," Aja chimed in.

"I know what you mean, Aja." Jerrica knew what her friend was getting at. "We'll just have to be a little more careful when it comes to Jem and Riot being around each other. We can't give Pizzazz any other opportunities," she added. "I guess I better get going on that press release."

"What about the groceries?" Aja asked. Unfortunately, Jerrica was too lost in her own thoughts to hear.

"What _are_ all these groceries for anyways?" Kimber curiously asked.

"Come on, help me get these into the kitchen and I'll explain," Aja replied, handing her a bag full of vegetables.

 **CHAPTER NINE**

"You were busier last night than we thought," Rapture cleverly greeted Riot as she and Minx entered his office.

Riot looked at them with a bewildered look. Minx handed him a copy of the _Hollywood Tales_. While he had heard about it from Jerrica, he had yet to see it.

"Are you still seeing Jem?" Minx candidly asked as he scanned the photo.

"That's an old photo," he flat out lied to his bandmates. "Our PR team is handling the situation as we speak," he informed them. It tormented him not being able to tell them the truth. He had never been one to lie, especially to those most loyal to him. But he gave Jerrica his word, even if it meant betraying Minx and Rapture's trust in him.

"It sure looks a lot like what you both wore last night," Minx pointed out.

"I saw Jem for a brief second as we got on stage. There was nothing more," he quickly brushed off Minx's insinuations.

"Even if Riot was seeing Jem," Rapture chimed in, "it didn't bother Jerrica Benton before," she said, referring to Rio's relationship with _them_.

" _If they only knew,"_ Riot thought to himself. "If you came to discuss my prior dalliances with Jem, I've got more important things to do," he informed them, clearly giving them a clue.

"We actually came here to thank you," Minx gleefully replied. "I love the new equipment!" she squealed, running over to hug him in his chair.

"Well, you're very welcome," he replied, caught off guard.

"But why did you get me a new bass?" Rapture asked.

"Do you not like it?" he asked, surprised. "It's the best one out there. Since Minx was getting new equipment, I figured we could all use new, updated equipment," he explained.

"It's great," she sarcastically replied. "I guess I just have to get used to it."

"It's yours," he bluntly replied to Rapture. "You are free to do with it as you wish," he instructed her.

"I bet I can find some use for it," she mused.

"Good. Now, is there anything else?" he asked. "I have a lot of work to do."

"Something's bothering you," Rapture pointed out.

Riot tried to hide his aggravation, but he knew his bandmates knew him well. "I'm just a little perturbed at Phyllis Gabor," he finally admitted.

"Oh?" Rapture looked at him with a probing eye.

"She's the person behind all _this_ ," he said, motioning towards the copy of _Hollywood Tales_.

"What business is it of Pizzazz to gossip about you and Jem? I thought she hated Jem?" Minx chimed in.

"She loathes Jerrica more and would like nothing more than to humiliate her," Riot bluntly replied.

"How could anyone hate Jerrica?" Rapture wondered. "She's too nice."

"Since when did you become such a fan of Jerrica's?" the German keyboardist asked.

"Since she introduced Rapture to Nigel," Riot smirked.

"What do you suppose _we_ do?" Rapture asked their fearless leader.

Riot sat thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "For now, nothing. The last thing I need is to be paying the PR team any more overtime," he said, reminding Minx of her spectacle the night before.

"I promise I won't throw anymore shoes," Minx giggled.

"I appreciate you girls looking out for me," he replied as he stood up from his chair to embrace his bandmates. "But the best thing for now is to just let Pizzazz entertain herself with her own antics. She'll grow bored of it sooner or later once she realizes we don't take her seriously," he explained. "Now, I must get back to all this work. Stingers Sound has a major event in a couple of days and we'll start recording the Christmas album next week. I want this work off my desk by then."

"As you wish, Riot," Rapture sweetly replied as they left his office, leaving him alone once more.

"Well, he's in a better mood than when he called me earlier," Minx whispered to Rapture in the hallway. "He wasn't too pleased about the shoes," she giggled.

"He's hiding something," Rapture mused, completely disregarding what Minx just said to her.

"Rapture, what are you talking about?" Minx quickly replied.

"I think there's more to that picture than Riot implied," the bassist revealed. "I feel it."

"You think he's still seeing Jem, don't you?" Minx pressed her.

"I really don't know," she murmured. "It's obvious Riot's in love with Jerrica. I can see it in his aura when he's around her, but there's something about that picture that doesn't fit with what he told us."

"I don't think Riot will be too happy if we start snooping where Jem and Jerrica are concerned. If you ask me, as long as Riot stays this happy and we're happy, he's free to do whatever he wants," Minx replied.

"He won't stay this happy for long if Pizzazz is up to something, and she is _definitely_ up to something where Jem and Jerrica are concerned," Rapture said thoughtfully.

"What do you suppose we do about it?" Minx wondered.

"I'm not really sure yet," she contemplated. "But I'll think of something."

"You really do like Jerrica Benton, don't you?" Minx prodded her.

Rapture shrugged. "She's not so bad. Riot seems more relaxed with her than he was with Jem. I think being with Jem stressed him out," she revealed. "But I'll take either one over Pizzazz!" Both Stingers giggled at the thought of the Misfit, reminding them of how love struck Pizzazz was with Riot.

"I see Jem as more of his type," Minx casually added. "But you're right, Jerrica doesn't bother me as much as all the other women he could possibly be with. And she doesn't seem as plain as she was when she was with Rio."

"Speaking of Rio, what's going on with him?" Rapture wondered.

Minx shrugged her shoulders. "Why waste my time on a jerk like him?" she asked rhetorically. "Why?"

"Nigel has a friend," Rapture began to tell her as they entered the elevator.

"Oh?" Minx was intrigued. After all, who could be worse than Jordan Lyons?

 **CHAPTER TEN**

 _Representatives for both singers claim the photo was taken several months ago, before Riot began dating Jerrica Benton of Starlight Music. The two made their official appearance as a couple the night the photo allegedly took place._

"Ahh!" Pizzazz shrieked upon reading the article on Jem and Riot in that morning's paper.

"What now?" Jetta asked, annoyed by Pizzazz's screams.

"They're spinning this to make the photo look like it was taken months ago," Pizzazz complained. "If they only knew," she mused.

"Yeah, so?" Roxie wondered.

"So," Pizzazz began with a bright look in her eyes. "We'll just have to get them sneaking around behind Jerrica's back on film!"

"How do you suppose with do that?" Stormer asked skeptically.

"I have a little something, I mean, _someone_ up my sleeves," she revealed.

"Who?" Roxie wondered.

" _Who_ is not important right now," Pizzazz answered. "Right now, I want you and Jetta to follow Riot wherever he goes," she directed them.

"And what if we say no?" Roxie challenged her.

"Then don't be surprised if the next photo on the cover of _Hollywood Tales_ is of you and that guy from LYNX," she threatened her.

"Fine," Roxie bemoaned her.

"Stormer!" Pizzazz continued, turning to the blue-haired wallflower. "I want you to find out what you can about Jem or Jerrica from Kimber Benton."

"But Pizzazz," Stormer protested. "I can't do that. Kimber's my friend."

"If you ever want your brother to have a job in this town, you'll do it!" Pizzazz demanded. Stormer's brother was Craig Phillips, who happened to be Aja's boyfriend as well. He was the drummer for the British rock band, the Blue Bloods, and had spent the last couple of years touring in Europe. Stormer was hopeful her brother would find an opportunity in Los Angeles one day and be able to come home for good.

"Fine," Stormer reluctantly agreed. "I'll see what I can do."

"And what do you suppose _you're_ going to do?" Jetta questioned her.

"Don't worry about me," she giggled. "I'll be working with my secret spy," she replied mischievously. "Now go!" she directed her bandmates, as if they were her minions. "I want this Fourth of July to give Jerrica Benton the loudest BOOM she's ever heard!" she wickedly laughed.


	4. Chapters 11-13

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

"And that's a wrap!" Riot happily proclaimed as the Stingers finished their final rehearsal before their big Fourth of July performance the next day.

Minx and Rapture looked at each other with great surprise. "We sounded great, Riot, but it hasn't even been an hour yet," Rapture pointed out. Rehearsals never lasted less than an hour even for a couple of songs. Riot would always find a way to make each song a tad bit different than the last time they performed it.

"It _is_ the weekend, is it not?" he reminded her. "I thought you'd be happy to leave early and see Nigel." Riot smirked. Rapture blushed.

"I can certainly find something fun to do to spend the rest of my day," Minx chirped. "What plans do you have, Riot?"

He sighed as his face lit up. "My parents are meeting Jerrica tonight," he smiled.

"That explains it," Rapture was quick to point out the change in his demeanor. "Riot's been hit by Cupid," she playfully teased.

"You two have it bad," Minx bluntly interrupted with a somewhat disgusted look on her face, alluding to her bandmates' new relationships.

"In time, my dear Minx. Just you wait," he teased her as he turned back to Rapture. "We thought it was time for our families to meet," he explained. "In fact, Jerrica wanted me to ask you both if you'd like to come to the Mansion as well."

"It sounds like a family thing," Minx replied, sounding very much uninterested. While she was often on the prowl for her next conquest, relationships were never her thing. The idea of meeting someone's parents was ghastly to her.

"Jerrica considers the Holograms her family and she considers you both as a part of mine," he went on. "I don't disagree with her on that and we'd like you both you come if you're free."

Minx and Rapture turned to each other. "We'll think about it," Rapture replied, coming up with a different way to spend the rest of their afternoon.

"Very well," he retorted as they made their way to the door. "I have a few more things to finish in my office before I leave for the day. If you do choose to come, dinner is at five," he smiled as he nodded at his bandmates good-bye before disappearing down the hallway. Rapture and Minx headed towards the elevators.

"What do you think?" Rapture asked once they were alone in the elevator.

"It sounds a bit boring to me," the German haughtily replied.

"If Jerrica invited us because she considers us Riot's family, she must have invited all of the Holograms including Jem!" Rapture pointed out.

"Yes," Minx agreed. "It would be quite interesting to see the three of them in the same room."

"You know, I haven't seen much of Jem since Riot and Jerrica got together," Rapture mused as the two Stingers exited Stingers Sound. "Do you think she's trying to avoid them on purpose?"

"Perhaps," Minx commented. "Maybe we _should_ find out if she shows up," she giggled.

"Or if the Misfits try to crash the party," Rapture added. "The way Riot's face lit up when he started talking about Jerrica makes me think this Jem and Riot stuff is all Pizzazz," she said of the tabloid photo.

"Speaking of Misfits," Minx interjected, "isn't that Pizzazz's Bentley parked across the street?"

Rapture glanced over and spotted the black Bentley. "Hmmm, it sure looks like it," she replied. "I wonder what they're up to."

"We have the whole afternoon to find out!" Minx mischievously grinned.

 **CHAPTER TWELVE**

"They're here!" Aja announced, expecting the Llewelyns at the door. Instead, she had an unexpected visitor.

"Hey, gorgeous!" her handsome, blue-haired boyfriend greeted her.

"Craig!" she exclaimed as they embraced each other. "What are you doing here?"

"We wrapped up the tour earlier than expected, so here I am!" he happily explained.

"Is everything alright?" she wondered as to why the tour ended so abruptly.

"Everything's fine," he reassured her.

"I'm so happy you're here!" she remarked as they leaned in for a kiss.

"What's all the commotion?" Jerrica asked, appearing from the kitchen. Kimber and Sean quickly followed.

"Hi, everyone!" Craig greeted them as he and Aja pulled away from each other.

"Craig! What a nice surprise!" she exclaimed, approaching him for a hug. "Aja said you're still touring."

"It's over, so here I am," he quickly explained.

"That's wonderful!" she replied, giving way for Kimber and Sean to greet him as she noticed Riot's car pulling into the driveway. "They're here!" she anxiously announced.

"Who?" Craig wondered.

"Riot and his parents," Aja answered. Craig looked confused.

"Oh, we need to fill you in," Kimber teased. "Jerrica and Riot are dating now," she continued.

"Riot of the Stingers?" he asked, looking even more confused. Jerrica was still with Rio the last time he was in town. He had never met Riot, but heard rumors about him and Jem.

"Yes, we'll tell you all about it later," Aja promised as the Llewelyns appeared at the doorstep.

Jerrica quickly came to the door to greet them, "Hi!"

"Hello, Jerrica," Riot smiled at her. "These are my parents, George and Mildred."

"Good afternoon, Mr. & Mrs. Llewelyn," Jerrica greeted them. "It's very nice to meet you," she added, expecting to shake his mother's hand. Instead, Mildred held her arms out to hug her.

"It's very nice to meet you, dear," she softly replied. "Rory has told us so many wonderful things about you," she continued. Jerrica smiled.

George, the ever so proper army lieutenant, extended his hand out to her. "Great to meet you, Jerrica," he firmly responded.

"Mr. & Mrs. Llewelyn, I'd like you to meet my sister, Kimber, and her fiancé, Sean Harrison," she said, turning to the newly engaged couple. "And this is our foster sister, Aja, and her boyfriend, Craig Phillips," she continued.

"Craig," Riot stepped in after his parents finished greeting everyone. "It's very nice to finally meet you. I've heard such wonderful things about your music," he added.

"Well, thank you," Craig replied, shaking his hand. "I've undoubtedly heard great things about yours," he complimented him right back. "The Stingers are huge in London right now."

"That's great to hear," Riot grinned. "I'd love to hear more about the music scene in London as well as the rest of Europe."

"Sure thing!" Craig enthusiastically replied.

"Shall we take this party out to the patio?" Jerrica suggested.

"I'll go get some refreshments," Aja added.

"I'll help you, Gorgeous!" Craig followed her into the kitchen.

"Right this way, everyone!" Kimber led the way as Riot and Jerrica trailed at the end.

"I didn't know Craig Phillips was going to be here," he mused.

"I didn't know either," Jerrica answered. "He just showed up right before you and your parents did."

"Interesting," he replied.

"Is this your mother and father?" Mildred Llewelyn asked, noticing the family photo of the sisters as children with their parents as she passed through the mansion. Everyone stopped to look at Jerrica.

"Yes," Jerrica glumly replied. "Our mother died nine years ago and our father died six years later," she explained.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, dear," Mildred replied.

"Jerrica took over her father's company and made it into the success that it is today," Riot proudly added. "Of course, Kimber and the rest of the Holograms have played a tremendous role in that as well," he complimented them. Kimber smiled, appreciating his acknowledgement.

George looked thoughtful as he studied the photo of the Bentons. "What was your father's name," he curiously asked.

"Emmett," Kimber replied. "Emmett Benton."

"Hmm," George murmured. "He looks quite familiar."

"You knew our father?" Jerrica quickly asked.

"Well, the name doesn't quite ring a bell and I _have_ worked with all sorts of people in the military," George explained. "But he does look familiar."

"Our father wasn't in the military," Kimber told him.

"Like I said, I've met all sorts of people. Perhaps he just has one of those faces," George replied as he tried to remember how he knew Emmett Benton. Jerrica and Kimber gave each other a surprised look. "Now, wait a minute!" the elder Llewelyn continued. "I do remember him now." Everyone in the room gave him their undivided attention. "I met him about five or six years ago. He was a contract worker. He came on board to work as an advisor to our technology team," he revealed.

"Are you sure, Mr. Llewelyn?" Jerrica asked in disbelief. "Our father never mentioned anything about working with the military."

"I don't think I could ever forget a man like that," George went on to say. "He was very intelligent, very focused. He was also very easy to get along with," he smiled.

Kimber and Jerrica were in shock. "I can't believe you knew our father," Kimber gaped.

"I can't believe Daddy never mentioned working for the US military," Jerrica added.

"I'm sorry," George replied. "I didn't mean to drop such a bombshell."

"No, please, Mr. Llewelyn," Jerrica reassured him. "Can you tell us anything more?"

"I don't know what else there is," he said as he tried to remember more. "He was only working with us for a year or so," he replied.

"What kind of project was he working on," Kimber wondered.

"I'm not really sure," George admitted. "That information was classified and limited to those working directly with the project. But I think it had something to do with a plane crash," he explained.

Jerrica gasped. Their mother had died in a plane crash in 1979. She looked to her sister, trying to process the new information revealed to them about their father as Craig and Aja suddenly walked in with

Shana, Anthony and Raya.

"What are you guys doing here?" a still shocked Kimber greeted them.

"Anthony and I decided to head back early," a beaming Shana replied.

"I thought Aja could use some company," said Raya, "but it looks like you're having a party."

"It's certainly turned into a party," Sean remarked.

As Riot introduced his parents to the rest of the Holograms and Anthony, Jerrica turned to her sister. "Well that was quite a surprise," she whispered.

"Never in a million years did I expect that," Kimber whispered back. "Do you think the plane crash had something to do with Daddy working with the military?" she wondered.

"I have no doubt about that," Jerrica replied. "There must have been something about that crash that made him want to get involved."

"We should go through Daddy's journal again," Kimber suggested. "Maybe there was something we missed."

"Great idea," Jerrica agreed. "I'll see if there's anything more I can get out of Riot's dad," she added as they followed the group out to the patio where Riot was waiting for her. Kimber and Riot exchanged friendly smiles as she passed by to join the others.

"Are you alright?" he asked Jerrica.

"I'm fine," she reassured him. "Just wasn't expecting to hear your dad talk about mine," she smiled.

"That's quite an incredible story," he replied.

"Riot, I want to know more about my father and his involvement with the military. I want to see if it had anything to do with the plane my mother was on when she died," she told him.

"I understand," he replied. "I'll be happy to see what I can find out for you," he promised her.

"Thank you," she whispered as he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

 **CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The door to the Gabor mansion slammed from behind. Roxie and Jetta had just returned from their little mission. "I can't believe we're wasting our time on this," a perturbed Roxie whispered.

"That little yank is in dire need of a psychiatric evaluation," Jetta whispered back. "All this for a guy who doesn't even care she exists."

"Back so soon?" Pizzazz greeted them from atop of the stairs.

"So soon? We were gone for five hours!" an insulted Roxie retorted.

"Well, what'd you find out?" An eager Pizzazz made her way down the stairs.

"That Riot is as boring as they come!" Roxie bluntly replied.

"We parked outside Stingers Sound for two hours –," Jetta began.

"Why didn't you go in?" Pizzazz hastily interrupted.

"Because he turned off our after-hours and weekend access," Roxie revealed.

Pizzazz shrieked. "Why would he do that?" she demanded to know.

"Need we remind you what happened after we left that BaNee girl's going away party?" Jetta condescendingly replied.

"So what happened next?" Pizzazz asked, pretending not to hear her.

"Then those two blondies left," Roxie said, referring to Minx and Rapture. "And then he left about 30 minutes later."

"Where'd he go?" Pizzazz anxiously wondered.

"He drove to some house right outside of Malibu," she answered.

"Yeah, it was a tiny little dump," Jetta chimed in.

"Well, whose house was it?" Pizzazz asked.

"Beats us," Roxie shrugged. "No one was home."

"But he had a key," Jetta added. "I saw him go inside and come back out a few minutes later with a bag."

"What kind of bag?" Pizzazz was intrigued.

"Just some old gym bag," Roxie explained.

"Okay, what next?" the troublesome lead singer asked.

"Then we followed him all the way to his parents' house in Thousand Oaks, and then followed the three of them to Jerrica's house," Roxie continued.

"The end," Jetta sweetly added before Pizzazz could ask any more annoying questions.

"That's it?" Pizzazz wondered. "Is he still over there?"

"Probably," Roxie mused. "Looked like they were having a party."

"I should be the one meeting his parents," Pizzazz thought out loud.

"What a great first impression you'd make," Jetta sarcastically added, falling on Pizzazz's deaf ears. Roxie snickered.

Pizzazz hurried over to the phone. "Stormer?" she said into the receiver. "Get to the Benton house as soon as possible! Find out what you can!" She quickly hung up and made another call. "It's me," she said to an unknown person on the other end. "Meet me at Starlight Music in an hour." Once her second call ended, she turned to Roxie and Jetta, "Girls, let's take a little field trip to Malibu."


	5. Chapters 14-16

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

"Well this is going pretty well," Kimber enthusiastically said to her sister as they made their way to the kitchen for more drinks.

"Even Minx and Rapture seem to be having a good time," Jerrica added as she glanced at the two Stingers in mid conversation with Shana and Raya. Riot's bandmates had joined the festivities at Starlight Mansion and Jerrica was pleased to see their friends and family enjoying each other's company.

"Riot's parents seem to really like you," Kimber smiled.

"Yeah," Jerrica sighed. "I just feel so guilty pretending like I didn't know them before," she admitted. Kimber gave her a sympathetic look just as the doorbell rang. "Well who could _that_ be?" Jerrica wondered.

"Everyone I could think of is here, unless it's Jem," the younger Benton giggled.

"Very funny, Kimber," Jerrica replied as Kimber went to answer the door.

"Stormer!" she greeted her friend, surprised by her arrival.

"Hi, Kimber," the friendly Misfit replied.

"Come on in. What brings you by?" she asked.

As Stormer quickly tried to recall the excuse she made up on the way over, she heard a familiar voice in the other room. "Is that who I think it is?" she asked Kimber as she headed to the kitchen.

"Mary!" Craig exclaimed as he saw his sister enter the room.

"Craig!" she gleefully greeted her brother. "I didn't know you were in town."

"I tried calling you, but you didn't answer. So I thought I'd come here and check in with you again later," he explained. "How's my baby sister doing?" he asked.

"Wonderful now that you're here!" she exclaimed.

Riot caught a glimpse of the sibling reunion in the kitchen from where he sat on the patio. "I didn't realize she and Craig were siblings," he mumbled just loud enough for Aja to hear. "Small world."

"It certainly is," Aja muttered back. He smiled, realizing by the face she made that Aja wasn't too thrilled of her close degree of separation from a Misfit.

"Mr. & Mrs. Llewelyn," Jerrica began as she led everyone back out to the patio, "this is Stormer, Craig's younger sister."

"Hello," Mildred greeted her with a smile.

"Are you in a band too?" George Llewelyn asked, glancing at her vibrant blue hair.

"Yes," Stormer responded in her high-pitched voice. "I'm with the Misfits."

"The _who_?" a befuddled George asked.

"The Misfits," Stormer repeated. "We're actually one of Riot's bands," she told them.

" _Not for lon_ g," Riot thought to himself. "They were signed under Raymond Records until the Stingers came along and the company was changed to Stingers Sounds," he explained to his father.

"And just where are those other Misfits?" Craig curiously asked, knowing the kind of trouble they often found themselves in.

"They're at the Gabor mansion," Stormer muttered as she struggled with lying to her brother. Rapture and Minx stood close by.

"I see," Craig replied. He was skeptical.

"So what brings you by, Stormer?" Rapture pressed on.

"I-I-I was just in the neighborhood and I thought I'd stop by and see Kimber," she stuttered. "I thought maybe we could go over some more song lyrics," she continued.

"I thought we weren't going to write anymore songs," a puzzled Kimber chimed in.

"Well, we can never write too many songs, right, Boss?" she nervously turned to Riot who was suspicious of her impromptu arrival and unusual schmoozing, knowing that Pizzazz was up to no good. Stormer was the nicest and most well behaved of the Misfits, but she rarely muttered a single word to Riot and she never addressed him as "Boss."

"Right," he skeptically replied. "Should we be anticipating any other unexpected guests from your band, Stormer?" he calmly interrogated her with a probing eye.

"Uh, no," she quickly answered.

"Well then, that means we won't be seeing any unsolicited photographs of any of the Stingers or Holograms from today in any magazines then," he haughtily insinuated.

Stormer remained silent as all eyes turned to her. Craig could sense his sister's apprehension and Riot's agitation with her presence at the mansion that afternoon. It didn't take long for him to realize the Misfits were up to something.

"Can I get anyone anything else to drink?" Aja abruptly asked, breaking the awkward silence that ensued. She could see the perturbed look in Craig's eyes after the exchange between Riot and Stormer. The last thing she wanted was Craig to go into big brother mode and clashing with her best friend's boyfriend.

"I'll have some more iced tea," Rapture replied as she stayed close to the siblings, hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Craig, can you help me in the kitchen please?" Aja said to her boyfriend.

"Of course," he replied, following her into the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" Aja quietly asked him once they were away from the rest of the group.

"Why? Do I not look okay?" he wondered, giving her a confused look.

"I know Riot can be tough to be around sometimes –," she began.

"Riot?" a perplexed Craig asked.

"Yeah," Aja replied. "I noticed you looking a bit upset when he was talking to Stormer just then," she explained.

"I'm not upset at Riot, Gorgeous," he smiled. "I'm upset with my sister. I think she's hiding something and lying about being here," he revealed. "Is there anything going on that I should know about?"

Aja nodded. "They're definitely up to trouble," she replied as she began to tell Craig about Pizzazz's unexpected appearance at the Countess' party and the subsequent photo in the tabloid.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Holograms and their guests had returned to their conversations prior to Stormer's arrival. Having traveled the world with the military and living in England for a time, George had found something to chat about with Sean, while Kimber and Jerrica talked about their mom and music with Mildred. Shana and Raya talked fashion with Minx; and Riot caught up with Anthony, leaving Rapture alone with Stormer. Riot glanced over just as his bandmate struck up conversation with the lone Misfit.

"What's going on over there?" Anthony leaned over to him, realizing that Riot had stopped listening to him talk as soon as he saw Rapture approach Stormer.

"I'm not sure," the Stinger murmured to his friend. "I don't have a good feeling about _her_ being here," he said in reference to Stormer. "But I'll find out sooner or later."

 **CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Pizzazz, dressed in a black leather jumpsuit, hopped out of Roxie's car and ran to an awaiting car parked across the street from Starlight Music. "Does this address mean anything to you?" she asked the driver, holding up a scratch piece of paper.

He shook his head. It was Rio. "I have no idea what that address is," he replied.

"Well then, you'll help me find out," she grinned.

"Okay," he replied hesitantly. "But why are we here at Starlight?" he wondered.

"If this address has anything to do with Jem, Starlight Music will tell us," she remarked.

"How do you suppose we find this information out?" Rio questioned her.

"You can still get us into Starlight's offices, can't you?" Pizzazz pressed upon him.

"Well," Rio paused, wondering if this was such a good idea to be involved in, "I haven't gone up there in months," he explained.

"You're going to get us in there, Pacheco, you got that!" she demanded. "Just keep reminding yourself of this," she said, throwing the photo of Jem and Riot in his face.

Despite his doubts, Rio went ahead with Pizzazz's schemes and got them into Jerrica's office. Although he was no longer working at Starlight, he never officially quit, nor did they officially terminate him from the company. Therefore, he was still able to access the offices with very little trouble and ultimately Jerrica's computer.

"So what kind of information are you exactly looking for?" he questioned Pizzazz as he sat in front of Jerrica's computer at her desk.

"I don't know, you're the computer expert," she reminded him. "Just anything that connects Jem to this address," she said.

Rio searched through Starlight's employee list first as Pizzazz flipped through Jerrica's Rolodex. He found nothing, not even any information on Jem herself, which he though was extremely odd. There was information on Aja, Shana, Kimber, Raya, and Jerrica, but nothing on Jem. He did a generic search on the hard drive, but nothing came up with Jem's personal information.

"There's nothing on here with tying this address to anyone, especially Jem," he told Pizzazz.

"Well, this is interesting," she replied pulling out a file.

Rio looked over to see what the file contained. "That's a sales agreement," he said, looking puzzled.

Pizzazz shrieked, "Jerrica owns that house!"

"She bought a house?" Rio wondered. "But she lives at the mansion."

"Looks like little Miss Goody-Goody is hiding secrets herself," Pizzazz mused.

"When did she buy it?" he asked.

"Two months ago," Pizzazz answered.

Rio was crushed. Jerrica had never once mentioned buying a house to him. Although they weren't on the best of terms in their relationship at the time, he still expected her to tell him something important such as buying a house.

"We should get out of here before the security guard catches us," he suggested, uncertain if he wanted to learn anything else about Jerrica that he hadn't known before.

"Fine," she agreed. "But we're not done yet. We're going to Stingers Sound," she told him. Rio sighed as he followed her out of Jerrica's office and across the street to the former Misfits Music.

Stingers Sound was completely desolate as the offices were heavily protected by a complex security system implemented by Riot. Three of the Misfits had entered one of the recording studios after hours and caused thousands of dollars in damages while trying to record a song, all heavily under the influence. Even Minx and Rapture couldn't access the building without Riot's prior approval. Nevertheless, Pizzazz knew if there was one person who could bypass the security system and get her access to his office, it was Rio.

Once across the street, Pizzazz led him to a private elevator in the loading dock of the Stingers Sound parking garage. While Riot had restricted access for everyone, with the exception of him and Eric Raymond, sections of the parking garage remained accessible and available for public use at a cost. This gave way for Pizzazz to access the restricted area of the garage using Eric's passcode and onto the private elevator that went straight up to the executive offices.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Rio mumbled to himself as watched the floors tick all the way to the top.

"Did you say something?" Pizzazz, who was off in la-la-land, replied.

Rio sighed. "So how do you suppose we get into Riot's office?" he skeptically asked.

"I got us up here," she quickly replied. "That part's _your_ job to figure out."

Rio sighed again just as the elevator doors opened to a dark hallway. "Is there an alarm up here?" he asked.

"Beats me," she shrugged. "I'm not allowed on the 30th floor."

"I can understand why," Rio quipped under his breath.

"What was that, Pacheco?" she glared at him.

"Nothing," he replied. "Just be careful of where you step, you could trigger an alarm," he cautioned her.

"I hardly doubt Riot would –," Pizzazz stopped short of finishing her sentence and gasped as soon as she stepped foot in the hallway and an elaborate maze of laser beams appeared down the hallway that led to Riot's office.

"Don't take another step," a tense Rio ordered her. "One move and you'll trigger the alarm."

"What are we going to do?" a freaked Pizzazz whispered loudly.

"I don't know," he mused as he surveyed the maze of laser beams before carefully stepping out of the elevator. "Is there a panel to disarm the security system?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Pizzazz quietly shrieked.

"Well it's got to be somewhere near here," he murmured, looking around for a keypad. "How does Eric Raymond get into his office?"

"He's on the 29th floor," she answered.

"That explains it," he replied as a lightbulb went off in his head. "We need to go to the 29th floor," he said, going back into the elevator.

"Huh?" Pizzazz was confused.

"The code you entered to get up here was Eric's, right?" Rio retorted.

"Yeah, so?" the Misfit replied.

Rio shook his headed, dumbfounded by Pizzazz' lack of brain cells. "Eric's code only allows him onto the 29th floor," he carefully explained. Pizzazz was still clueless. "That means the only way to turn off the laser beams is to enter Riot's code in the elevator."

"So how are we going to get back up to Riot's office from the 29th floor?" an annoyed Pizzazz asked just as the elevator doors opened to Eric's floor.

"Stop asking so many questions and just follow me," Rio ordered her as he led her down the hallway to the elevator bank and into the emergency stairwell.

"Smart, Pacheco," Pizzazz remarked as they ran up to the 30th floor. Unfortunately, once they exited the elevator bank, they were met with the same laser beams as before. "Never mind," Pizzazz added. "Now what do we do?"

Rio paused thoughtfully. He looked up at the ceiling. "I'm going to give you a boost and you're going to push your way through that ceiling tile," he replied.

"I'm going to what?" Pizzazz was appalled.

"Do you want to get to Riot's office or not?" he questioned her. Pizzazz nodded. "Then I'm going to need you to get through that ceiling tile."

"Why don't you just use that planter over there?" she suggested, motioning to the tall, ceramic planter in the corner.

"Fine," he replied, walking over to the planter. He hated to admit it, but this was one of those rare moments where Pizzazz had a better idea.

Rio climbed onto the planter as Pizzazz held it steady. At just under 6-feet tall, he was just able to push the ceiling tile up and pull himself up into the crawl space above the ceiling. He then reached down to pull Pizzazz up who gave out a shriek as she got tangled in some cobwebs.

"This better work," she snidely commented as she brushed the webs off her.

Rio rolled his eyes. "Now which way is his office?" he asked the Misfit.

"How am I supposed to know?" Pizzazz retorted.

Rio sighed as he began crawling towards the general direction of the private elevators, lifting a tile every few feet to see which office was below. Pizzazz closely followed, letting out a shriek every time she felt a cobweb. Rio began to wonder if all this time spent with Pizzazz was even worth the effort.

"I think this is it," he sighed as he pulled up a tile and slowly lowered himself down into Riot's office.

"Aren't you going to help me down?" Pizzazz shrieked.

"Just slowly lower yourself down," he instructed her.

"You want me to what?!" an exasperated Pizzazz replied.

Rio rolled his eyes and reached his arms up towards her. "Fine," he sighed as Pizzazz nearly crashed into his arms.

"Awkwaaaard," she muttered as she landed on top of him. "You know, if this doesn't work –,"

"Let's get to business," Rio interrupted before she could finish her sentence, and went straight for Riot's computer. He was already annoyed with the situation at hand. The last thing he needed was an image of him getting intimate with the woman he least wanted to be with.

"Okay," Pizzazz said under her breath as she brushed herself off and pretended Rio's subtle rejection never happened.

While Rio sat at Riot's desk and began looking through his files, Pizzazz began rummaging through his drawers. "There's nothing in here," Rio told her after carefully looking through the computer, shocked that Riot actually did work. And not just some work, a lot of work. Riot was heavily involved in every aspect of the company, much to Rio's surprise. He always thought the Stinger ordered subordinates to complete the work while he only cared about looking the part.

"I think I see something," Pizzazz announced. "It's a delivery receipt," she said shining a flashlight on a piece of paper. "Riot had two dozen roses delivered to that address on June 1st," she told him.

"June 1st?" Rio mumbled. "That's Jerrica's birthday."

"Well, if he was having roses delivered to Jerrica on her birthday, then she must have been sneaking around with him behind _your_ back," Pizzazz snickered.

Rio gave her a nasty look. "This doesn't make any sense," he mused, looking around to see if he can find anything else only to have a picture of Jerrica catch his eye. He was hurting at the sight of her photo on someone else's desk – Riot's desk of all people. Riot didn't deserve her, he thought. Even if he never won Jerrica back, Riot deserved to feel the anguish that he felt at that moment.

"Bingo!" Pizzazz exclaimed, holding a photo of Jem that had been tucked away.

"It's just a photo of Jem," Rio shrugged. "Riot's been fixated on her since he got here."

"It's not just a photo of Jem," Pizzazz corrected him. "The photo was taken in front of that house! The one that belongs to Jerrica. And it was taken just last week!" she revealed, showing him the time stamp.

Rio was dumbfounded. It didn't surprise him that the Stinger was playing both women, but why would Jem and Riot be secretly rendezvousing at Jerrica's house of all places? He knew something wasn't right.

"Do you think Jem's living there?" he wondered. "That would explain the roses delivered to that address. Maybe the roses weren't meant for Jerrica, maybe he sent them to Jem and it just happened to be the same day as Jerrica's birthday."

"Maybe," Pizzazz answered. "But this just proves I was right! Riot is cheating on Jerrica with Jem, and the whole world is going to know about it," she grinned.

"It's just a picture, Pizzazz," Rio pointed out. "What are you going to tell Harriet Horn? And that you found it while breaking into his office and rummaging through his desk?"

"No," she scoffed. "But this just means we're this close to finding the evidence we need to prove I was right all along. And I have just the plan," she mischievously smiled. Rio was hesitant to find out.

 **CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Jerrica waived good-bye from the mansion as the Llewelyns drove away. She rejoined the rest of the Holograms who were still in the kitchen cleaning up. All the other guests had left earlier in the evening, leaving the girls to do some much needed catching up.

"Well that went outrageously well!" Kimber gushed as Jerrica walked into the kitchen.

"Amazingly well," she added with a huge smirk on her face.

"The Llewelyns seem to really like you," Shana observed.

"I guess there's a lot more history between Riot and me than we knew," she began.

"Kimber was just filling us in," Aja remarked. "That's unbelievable."

"After all these years," Kimber began, "and we had no clue that Daddy was involved with the military."

"I asked Riot to look into it more," Jerrica noted.

"That's great that you and Riot met," Raya commented. "Or else you would have never known."

"Yeah, that's quite the coincidence," Jerrica smiled, thinking fate must have been working on her side.

"I have to say," Aja interjected, "Riot's quite a different person these days," she nudged Jerrica.

"What have I been telling you?" she smiled back to her friend.

"Craig seems to really like him. They talked quite a lot tonight," Aja continued.

"Anthony's a big supporter of his," Shana revealed. "He couldn't stop going on and on about how happy he was for the two of you all weekend," she teased, slightly rolling her eyes. Jerrica blushed.

"Speaking of Anthony, how was the trip?" Aja asked.

Shana beamed, but stayed silent as she revealed a sparking four-carat solitaire diamond ring on her left ring finger.

"You're engaged!" All four Holograms squealed at the same time.

"Yep," Shana gushed. "He asked me right in the middle of the vineyard at sunset."

"How romantic!" Kimber marveled. "So, when's the big day?" she demanded to know.

"Soon," Shana paused, "at the end of summer in Hawaii."

"You're not pregnant, are you?" Kimber bluntly asked.

"No!" Shana quickly answered.

"How come so soon?" the redhead continued.

"It's soon, but not as soon as your wedding was," Shana reminded her of her almost "quickie" wedding to her ex-boyfriend, Jeff Wright.

"I know, it was a stupid decision and I hardly knew Jeff," Kimber admitted. "I'm sorry," she said to Shana. "I didn't mean to give you the third degree. You and Anthony have been together for a long time and deserve this more than anyone," she said, leaning over to hug her.

"So Hawaii, huh?" Aja chimed in.

"It was Riot who gave Anthony the idea," Shana revealed.

"I didn't realize Anthony and Riot were such good friends," Kimber mused.

"I didn't either," Jerrica admitted. "But they have been working together closely on some projects at Stingers Sound," she replied.

"So, we'll fly out with the girls and Mrs. Bailey the week before school starts," Shana continued, "and the wedding will be on that Friday."

"I can't think of a more beautiful wedding," Jerrica began to get teary eyed.

"Well we better get started on plane reservations," Kimber added. "We're going to need a whole cabin to ourselves with all of us going," she laughed.

"No need to," Shana replied, "Anthony already got Howard Sands to let us use his jet," she explained.

"That is quite generous of Howard," Jerrica smiled.

"This is outrageous!" Kimber finally shrieked.

"Congratulations, Shana," Jerrica turned to hug her friend. "I can't believe you're getting married too!"

"This is all so sudden," she admitted. "But I'm excited," she smiled.

"Of course you are," Raya added. "Anthony's such a great guy."

"He really is," Aja, Kimber and Jerrica said in unison. The girls laughed.

"We need to celebrate," Jerrica said, grabbing a bottle of Champagne from the refrigerator. "We were saving this for a special occasion, and I can't think of a better time!"

The cork popped and the Holograms cheered to the wonderful and unexpected news of Shana's engagement. As the girls sipped on Champagne, talk turned to Emmett Benton once again.

"Do you think Synergy has any idea?" Aja wondered.

"That's a good question, Aja," Jerrica replied. "There's only one way to find out," she said, leading the girls through the holographic wall that kept Synergy out of sight from the rest of the house.

"Hello, girls," an image of a purple woman on the computer screen greeted them.

Synergy had been Emmett Benton's top secret project only revealed to his daughters after his death almost four years ago. He had created a heavily advanced computer that could project holographic images as well as change Jerrica into Jem within a matter of seconds using a pair of special earrings that Jerrica, and Jem, always wore. Synergy was the reason why Jerrica never revealed herself as the real identity of Jem after the computer had warned them that knowledge of her existence could be detrimental to the world if she fell into the wrong hands. From that moment on, Jerrica and the rest of the Holograms vowed to protect Synergy and Jem's real identity. The only person they ever told after the fact was Raya after she joined the group later on. Even then, Raya had to prove she could be trusted with the secret, which she did when she protected Jem from accidentally revealing her identity in front of a room full of reporters. And while Riot figured out the truth about Jem and Jerrica, he still had no clue as to Synergy's existence.

"Hi Synergy," Jerrica replied. "We were wondering if you know anything about my father's involvement with the military after our mother's death."

"I'm sorry, Jerrica," Synergy answered. "Anything that happened before my existence is not in my memory," she revealed.

"Of course!" Jerrica replied. "Where else could my father have learned to design something as complex as Synergy," she said to her sister and friends.

"May I ask what made you believe your father was involved with the military?" For a computer, Synergy was beyond her time. Although she displayed no emotion, she had the ability to rationalize information and offer the Holograms an analytic response to any question they may have.

"Riot's father, George Llewelyn, seems to remember him from a long time ago," she explained. "He thinks my father worked on some top secret project with the technology division."

"Jerrica, I must warn you to be careful as you try to seek the truth behind your father's involvement," Synergy told her. "I must never fall into the wrong hands," she reminded them.

"We will, Synergy," she promised.


	6. Chapters 17-19

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

Riot waived good-bye to his parents as his car pulled away from their house. He smiled at the thought of how wonderful the evening had been with them and Jerrica. He rarely did anything right in the eyes of his father, always seeking his approval and rarely getting it. For the first time ever, he easily got it on the first try. He couldn't be any happier knowing his parents greatly approved of his relationship with her, not that it would have mattered if they hadn't. But Riot had worked hard to improve his relationship with his father, and their approval of her meant the world to him.

However, it wasn't just his parents' approval of Jerrica that made him happy. He smiled thinking about his new connection with herpast. Although he never knew her parents, and would never know them, it comforted him to think their fathers knew each other. It really was destiny that brought them together. He grinned knowing his life couldn't be any more perfect than it was at that moment. His band was on top of the music world, his company was on the rise, his mother was healthy and he couldn't remember a time when his relationship with his father was any better – all this with Jerrica at his side. Then he remembered Pizzazz. Suddenly he realized his life wasn't so perfect and Pizzazz stood in the way of that.

"What am I going to do with her?" he sighed to himself.

He picked up his car phone and quickly dialed a number. The answer machine picked up. "Hi, this is Rapture, a.k.a. Phoebe Ashe. I'm away from my phone, but leave a message and I'll call you back."

Riot sighed as he hung up before the beep. He was eager to know what Rapture had to say after her chat with Stormer at the mansion earlier that evening. Rapture had keen senses when it came to people. If there was anyone who could get a secret out of someone, it was none other than Phoebe Ashe. He quickly dialed Minx's number hoping she would be there, but got her answering machine too.

" _It's too late for this,"_ he thought to himself. _"I'll deal with it in the morning."_

He picked up the phone one more time. "Hello?" said a voice on the other end.

"Miss me?" he sweetly said into the phone.

"I always do," Jerrica flirted back.

"I'm having such a good night that I didn't want it to end," he grinned. "Thank you again for a lovely evening, my lovely."

Jerrica smiled. "I was just chatting with the girls about how wonderful tonight went. Well, except it was odd that Stormer showed up, but at least she didn't cause any trouble."

"Yes, about Stormer," he began, "I've been trying to reach Rapture. I noticed she spoke with her for a while tonight. I thought perhaps Rapture could provide some insight as to why she was really there."

"I'm sure we're both right to think that Pizzazz sent her to cause trouble," Jerrica replied. "But Stormer's pretty harmless compared to the rest of them."

"Hmm, I suppose you're right about that," he responded. "Enough about Stormer. I'll deal with her later."

"Well, what do I owe the pleasure of your call then?" Jerrica grinned.

"I was wondering if you'd like to continue our perfect evening?" he smirked.

"Oh! I think that could happen," she flirted.

"Perfect," he purred. "Your place or mine? Or would you rather have me pick you up at the mansion."

"Oh no need to come back here! I have some work I left at the beach house, so how about we just meet there?" Jerrica suggested.

"I have to make just one little stop and then I'll head over," he replied.

"I'll see you soon then," Jerrica smiled as the two hung up.

Despite thinking about Pizzazz and her antics, the sound of Jerrica's voice was all Riot needed to perk himself back up. His perfect life was in reach. He just needed to take care of some business first.

 **CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Stormer sat at her vanity, transforming herself from a rock star back to Mary Phillips. As much as she enjoyed music, traveling the world, and living a life of luxury with Pizzazz and the rest of the Misfits, she preferred the simple life. Even after the Misfits made it big, Stormer saved up her money and purchased a modest two-bedroom home in Burbank while the rest of the Misfits wasted their earnings on frivolities. It was memories of Mary and Craig's childhood that kept her grounded. She knew the future was unknown and that fame was only temporary, so she made use of her money wisely.

Despite the fame and fortune that came with being a Misfit, Stormer was the least happy of the quartet. Her behavior was nothing like the other girls. She was mild mannered and kind hearted, so being around a bunch of miscreants was anything but fun for her. Unfortunately, she played along with their antics knowing it was her meal ticket. Things became even more uneasy when she struck up a friendship with Kimber. She liked being around Kimber. She even liked being around Jerrica and the rest of the Holograms. She often thought about leaving the Misfits altogether and joining Starlight Music where she had an open invitation. But something pulled her back. While the Misfits weren't the greatest of characters, she knew she didn't have to be perfect with them. With the Holograms, however, they were the pinnacle of perfection in the music industry. Stormer wasn't sure if she could keep up with a flawless persona, but it was all too easy being imperfect.

Unfortunately, the weight of being a Misfit was taking its toll on her. It was bad enough that Eric Raymond had ditched them and left Riot in control at Stingers Sound, leaving the Misfits with no new records in sight as the music company put all of its focus and resources on The Stingers and a couple of new acts that Riot had signed on. Now with Pizzazz's mission to destroy Riot and Jerrica, Stormer knew it was a matter of time before Riot would toss the Misfits out on the streets. If there was a good time to jump ship, this was as good of a time as any.

Sinking deep into her thoughts, Stormer didn't realize Craig had been calling her name. "Stormer! Your phone!" he said loudly once more just as the answering machine began to pick up. She got out of her room just in time to hear a message from Pizzazz with Craig listening in.

"Are you back from Starlight Mansion yet?" the Misfit said into the answering machine, sounding a bit perturbed. "Give me a call as soon as you get this."

"What's going on, Mary?" an upset looking Craig bluntly asked once the message ended. "And don't lie to me," he warned her. "I know about Pizzazz trying to break up Riot and Jerrica."

"I didn't want to do it, Craig," Stormer admitted.

"Do what?" he asked.

"I didn't want to crash the Bentons' party tonight," she replied. "But Pizzazz insisted that I go over there to try to find out any dirt on Riot, Jerrica or Jem. She seems to think Riot is seeing Jem too."

"I talked to Riot and to Aja about that tonight," he replied. "And I think you need to get away from the Misfits as fast as you can. Mary, Phyllis Gabor is crazy. If you want a future in music, you need to cut ties with her before it's too late," he pleaded with her.

"I know," she murmured. "But I just can't do that to them. They're my friends."

"Mary, your friends wouldn't put your job on the line," he retorted. "Your friends wouldn't make you do things to get you in trouble."

"What do you mean by _job on the line_?" she probed him. "Is there something you know about?"

Craig sighed. "I wasn't going to say anything until it was official," he began. "Even Aja doesn't know yet."

"Know what?" Kimber was puzzled.

"Mary, I've been offered a job," he finally revealed.

"A job? Where?" she eagerly asked.

"Here," he answered. "At Stingers Sound."

"Craig, that's wonderful!" Stormer beamed as she gave her brother a congratulatory hug.

"Thank you," he laughed.

"But what about the Blue Bloods?" she asked.

"I left the Blue Bloods," he replied.

Stormer was shocked. "You left? Why? I thought you loved performing with them."

"I do – I mean, I did," he clarified. "I don't really want to get into it now, but things kind of became a mess with the guys towards the end of our last tour that I decided to quit the band."

"Craig, I'm so sorry," she told her brother. "I feel bad it ended that way, but I'm happy to hear you're staying in town," she added.

"I am too," he smiled. "I get to be near my baby sister."

"And Aja," she reminded him with a smile. "So what about this job at Stingers Sound?"

"Riot wants to do a complete overhaul of the company. He has a vision for Stingers Sound and I don't think he sees the Misfits as a part of it," he confided. "Now, my job isn't official yet, so if you say a word of this to those so-called _friends_ of yours, I can kiss this job good-bye," he warned her.

"I promise, I won't say anything," she assured her brother.

"Mary, you better get your act together before you're out of a job too," he advised her.

"I know," she despondently sighed just as her doorbell rang. Stormer gave her brother a puzzled look as he wandered over to answer it.

"Riot!" a surprised Craig greeted their surprise visitor. "What brings you by?"

"Hello, Craig," the Stinger greeted back. "I was hoping to talk to you and your sister tonight."

"Oh," Craig was puzzled.

"I have a proposition to make," Riot announced. The two siblings were all ears.

 **CHAPTER NINETEEN**

"Do you see anything?" Pizzazz loudly whispered to Roxie who was sitting next to Jetta in the backseat of Jetta's car.

"I see nothin'!" the Misfit retorted. "These night goggles that Techrat made are nothing but garbage!"

"Remind me to have Eric fire him when he gets back to town, whenever that will be," she haughtily remarked, trying to adjust her own pair of night vision goggles.

"What exactly are we doing here again?" Rio asked, who was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Wasting our time," Jetta muttered under her breath.

"What was that, your majesty?" Pizzazz mocked her British bandmate.

"Pizzazz, we've been here for over two hours. It's nearly midnight and there's no sight of Riot, Jem or Jerrica," Jetta complained. "I think it's time we go home."

"Yeah," Roxie agreed. "And I have to pee."

"I told you not to drink all that soda," the Brit chastised her.

"Just go in the bushes," Pizzazz suggested. "No one will see you."

"Excuse me?" a perturbed Roxie replied. "I'm not going in the bushes just so you can waste more time trying to spy on Riot."

"You better not wet your knickers in my car," Jetta warned her.

"Just send Pizzazz the cleaning bill," Roxie joked.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Rio murmured to himself.

"Everyone, be quiet," the green-haired Misfit instructed. "I see something," she whispered just as two sets of headlights appeared in the distance. "I think that's them."

"It better be them, or we're leaving, Pizzazz," a completely annoyed Jetta replied.

"Turn on the video camera," Pizzazz turned to Roxie as the cars quickly approached.

"Where's that annoying Clash when you need her," Roxie mumbled.

"Don't screw this up," Pizzazz warned her.

"I know what I'm doing," an agitated Roxie replied.

The first car to arrive at the beach house was Riot's Aston Martin. He quickly exited the car and waited for the car following him. "He's so sexy," Pizzazz murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I think I'm going to throw up," Jetta remarked, but Pizzazz was too focused on the Stinger to notice.

The second car to arrive was the Rockin' Roadster. "I can't tell who's driving," Pizzazz muttered. "These night vision goggles are horrid!" she remarked. "I can't tell if it's blondie or Miss Perfectly Pink," she ridiculed them as the driver exited from the car.

"It's definitely Jem," Roxie replied.

"I think it's Jerrica," Jetta countered.

"Of course you'd say the opposite of what I'd say," Roxie told her bandmate.

"You're always wrong," Jetta snidely stated.

"It's got to be Jem," Pizzazz murmured. "She's not dressed like a prude." Roxie and Jetta laughed.

"Enough!" Rio barked. "I can't tell who it is. It's too dark," he commented just as Riot approached Jem/Jerrica and greeted her with a quick hug before going inside the house.

"That's it?" Jetta observed. "We waited nearly two hours to get video of _that_?"

"Even I've gotten more titillating hugs from my cousin than _that_ ," Roxie commented. Rio and Jetta gave each other a disgusted look.

"Let's get closer to the house –," Pizzazz began.

"No!" Rio quickly interrupted before she could continue. "We're done!"

"But that's not enough!" the Misfit pleaded.

"Spying from a car is one thing, but I think it's time to go before you see something you can't un-see," he cautioned her. "You'll just have to do with what you have."

"Plus, I really have to pee now," Roxie added.

"Fine," Pizzazz agreed. She knew he was right. As much as she wanted to humiliate Jerrica, she knew it was wise to turn back before she saw anything she would regret seeing. "I've got a surprise up my sleeve anyway," she murmured just quiet enough that the others didn't hear.

"Finally!" Roxie let out a sigh of relief.

"You better not have relieved yourself just then," Jetta warned her. Rio couldn't get out of there fast enough.

As Jetta's car disappeared into the night, Rapture and Minx emerged from the floor of Rapture's car just parked down the street. "These night vision goggles that Techrat made are really impressive," Minx chirped. "You could see a mile from here. And in color too! "

"Minx, quit with the goggles," Rapture politely snapped at her friend. "Either Pizzazz was right and Riot's seeing Jem, or –." Rapture suddenly got lost in her own thoughts.

"Or what, Rapture?" Minx bluntly asked. Rapture stayed silent. "Spit it out!"

"Or Jem is really Jerrica Benton!" she finally revealed.


	7. Chapters 20-22

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

"George!" A man in his early sixties greeted Riot's father.

"Senator, thank you for agreeing to meet with me so early this morning," George replied, extending his hand out to shake the man's hands. It was Senator Barton Williams.

"Please, none of that senator bullshit," Barton replied. "You knew me when I was still scarfing down Twinkies that my mother sent to me at the Academy." The two men laughed. "Please, have a seat," he motioned. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, thank you," George replied. "I appreciate you letting me drop by your house on such short notice with it being a holiday and all."

"Of course," the senator replied. "Anything for a friend. How are Mildred and Rory?"

"Mildred's doing just fine," he answered. "And Rory, well, I think you're one of the very few people who still calls him by his real name these days," he proudly smiled.

"I've heard he's making quite a success of himself. You must be proud," Barton remarked.

"Yes, Mildred and I are very proud of him," he smiled. "He's even managed to find himself a lovely lady-friend. Jerrica Benton. She's in the music industry as well."

"Yes, I've heard of her," Barton replied thoughtfully.

George paused briefly. "She's actually the reason why I'm here."

"Oh?" The senator was surprised.

"Well, Barton, do you remember Emmett Benton? He was a contract worker about five or six years ago," George began.

"The name rings a bell," he replied.

"Emmett is, I mean, _was_ Jerrica's father. He came down with an illness and died in 1985," George explained. The senator was all ears. "Just recently, I met Jerrica and realized I knew her father."

"Small world," Barton commented.

"Yes, very much so," George agreed. "It isn't anything big, but promised Rory I'd try to find out more about her father's involvement in the military. Apparently, his children had no idea he was even working with us at the time."

"I see," the senator mused.

"I was wondering if there was anything you know that I could possibly tell my son's girlfriend. You know how young love is these days," he continued. "It would mean a lot to Jerrica and my son would like nothing more than to make her happy."

"Seeing my first born get married last year, I know what you mean," Barton replied. George smiled. "There isn't anything I can recall off the top of my head. It's been so long and that was such a busy time in my life," he explained, alluding to when he left the military to pursue his political career. "I'll look into it and see what I can find out for you."

"Well, thank you, Barton. I surely do appreciate it," George replied, extending his hand to the senator.

"Of course, what are old friends for?" the senator replied, shaking George's hand. "It sounds like your son is pretty serious about this girl."

"He is and we couldn't be any more pleased," George happily replied. "His mother and I hope they both decide to settle down soon."

"That's wonderful, George," Barton remarked.

"Well, I should let you get back to your busy schedule," the older Llewelyn said as he turned to leave the senator's home.

"I'll be in touch, George," he added.

"Good-bye, Senator," George saluted as he closed the door behind him.

The senator watched George's car leave his driveway and disappear down the street. He then quickly made his way to his office, where he began looking through some old files before making a phone call.

"Hello?" answered a male voice on the other end.

"I just had an interesting visit from Sergeant George Llewelyn," the senator said into the receiver. "He asked about Emmett Benton's time with us."

"Emmett Benton?" the voice on the other end replied. "Why would he ask about Emmett after all this time?"

"Apparently, George's son, Rory, is dating Emmett's daughter, Jerrica," the senator answered.

"Did you tell him anything," the man asked.

"No, not yet," the senator replied. "Perhaps it's time we end this once and for all."

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

"Good morning, Jerrica," he softly said in her ear with his mellifluous voice reverberating through her soul. She heard those words every single day, but no one could make them sound as melodic as he could. For Jerrica, it was the most wonderful to hear first thing in the morning.

"Good morning, yourself," she replied, turning to face him as he swiftly engulfed her into his arms.

"Sleep well?" he purred, caressing her cheek as he gazed down on her.

"Wonderfully," she smiled, running her fingers through his golden mane as she leaned towards him for a kiss.

"Mmm, what a fantastic way to wake up," his voice rumbled. "I don't like to talk about other people in bed, especially my own parents," he began, "but let me just say how much they really love you." Jerrica looked thoughtful. "What is it?" he asked.

"I think your parents are great," she hesitated. "I just can't help, but feel guilty that they've known me all along as Jem and they just don't know about it."

"There's nothing for you to feel guilty about," he reassured her. "They like you for who you are."

"I appreciate that," she cracked a smile. "I just wish it was easy for me to tell people."

"I know you like your privacy, Jerrica, but if this secret of yours is becoming a burden, perhaps it's time to address it," he suggested.

"I wish it was that simple," she sighed.

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

" _I wish I could tell you,"_ she thought to herself. "It's nothing," she quickly replied. "It's just me being me and my own insecurities."

"Well, from where I'm at, I don't see anything you should be insecure about," he complimented her.

"How do you always know the right things to say?" she sweetly asked.

"Am I not Riot?" he teased, slightly mocking his own persona, sending them both into laughter. "Whatever it is you need from me, Jerrica, I am here for you," he reassured her. "If you want to tell my parents about Jem, I'm sure they'd understand and protect your secret. But it is _your_ secret to tell. Please don't feel pressured to tell them simply because they're my parents. This is something they don't have to know."

"Thank you," she replied with a smile. "It's not just them either. With Kimber marrying Sean, I know I'll feel guilty making her lie to her own husband.

"I see your point," Riot replied. "Is he someone you can trust with this information?"

"Well," she looked thoughtful. "I don't seem him purposefully trying to reveal my secret for his own personal gain."

"I don't think so either," Riot agreed. "But is he someone who would guard it with his life?"

Jerrica smiled at the thought of having someone she could trust in Riot. "I don't know. I guess I'll have to figure this out soon before they get married," she answered.

"If you believe he truly loves your sister, then you can trust him," he advised her.

"That's a great way of looking at it," she replied. "I'll have to think about this more seriously," she added.

"Well, don't think about it too much, at least right now, anyway," he said, jumping out of bed and pulling her up with him. "We have a busy day ahead. Care to join me?" he asked as he headed to the shower.

"I'll be right there," she replied, taking off the Jem star earrings and placing them on the nightstand. The last thing she needed was glitch in the shower, making Jem suddenly appear. She never had problems with them in the shower before, but it wasn't something she was willing to risk with Riot there. She still hadn't told him about Synergy or even gave it much thought. She knew she could trust him with that secret, but she wasn't ready or sure how to address it just yet.

"The water's getting cold!" he teased her from the bathroom. She quickly tiptoed her way to join him.

"Impatient, are we?" she teased back as she entered the shower.

"We have a busy day ahead and I want to ensure we have some proper playtime before it's all work," he explained with a smirk.

"I like your style, Mr. Llewelyn," Jerrica flirtatiously replied as he pulled her in for a kiss.

 _BOOM_!

Riot and Jerrica quickly stopped kissing. "What was that?" Jerrica nervously wondered.

"It sounded like a door slamming. Stay in the bathroom," Riot instructed her as he turned off the water and grabbed his robe. Jerrica followed him out of the shower and put on her robe, but stayed behind as she watched him cautiously look for what made that noise.

Moments later, Jerrica overheard Riot swear in the other room. "What is it?" she wondered.

"You didn't happen to open the window last night, did you?" he asked as she joined him in the living room.

"No, I didn't," she replied.

"Someone was here," he remarked, pointing to the curtain dancing in the breeze. "The front door is unlocked," he replied, suggesting that the intruder exited through the front.

Jerrica quickly turned and ran to the bedroom. "Oh no!" she cried.

"What is it?" a worried Riot ran after her.

"My earrings. They're gone!" she frantically replied. "I put them on the nightstand before I got in the shower and now they're gone!" she sobbed, desperately searching for them in the room, hoping they were somehow still there.

"I'm so sorry, darling," he said, helping her search for them. "We'll find the best jeweler in the world and have new ones created for you," he tried to comfort her.

"No, Riot," she countered. "You don't understand. Those were from my father."

"I didn't realize," he murmured. "We should call the police then," he replied, making his way to the phone.

"No!" Jerrica stopped him.

"We would have a better chance of finding them if we reported the break in," he explained.

"No, Riot, you don't understand," she replied. "We can't get the police involved."

"Why not?" He was puzzled by her hesitance.

Jerrica sighed. "I was going to tell you, but was waiting for the right time," she began. "I guess now is as good of a time as any."

"What is it?" Riot eagerly asked as he took a seat at the edge of the bed. Jerrica slowly made her way next to him.

"Those earrings have special capabilities that only the Holograms and I know about," she explained. Riot was dumbfounded.

"What kind of special capabilities do you mean?" he skeptically asked.

"It all started when my father died . . ."

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

The doorbell at the Gabor Mansion rang. "It's for me," Pizzazz said to her butler as she ran to answer the door.

"Hi, Pizzazz," Stormer greeted her.

"You're not Clash," she replied.

"Sorry, I can come back later if you're busy," Stormer muttered.

"No, come in. Clash is late," Pizzazz replied as she checked the clock. "What are you doing here? You completely bailed on us last night."

"Yeah, about that," Stormer began. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, Pizzazz, and I think it's a good idea if we stop this now before anyone gets hurt."

"Stop now?" Pizzazz ridiculed her. "Why would I do that, Stormer? You didn't say anything, did you?"

"No, Pizzazz! I wouldn't do that," Stormer reassured her. "I think Riot knows who's behind the tabloid photo from the other day."

"You did tell him, didn't you?" the Misfit accused her.

"No, I didn't!" Stormer pleaded. "But he wasn't happy at all when I showed up at the mansion last night."

"Was Jem there?" Pizzazz quickly asked, brushing aside Stormer's concerns about Riot.

"Uhh, no," she answered, puzzled by Pizzazz's reaction.

"That's probably why," she replied. "He was expecting Jem to show up instead of you."

"No, Pizzazz. It wasn't anything like that at all," Stormer continued, but Pizzazz wouldn't hear any of it.

"Look, Stormer," she began as she looked straight into her eyes, "I have Riot and Jem where I want them. When tonight is over, Riot and Jerrica will be over with, Jem will want nothing to do with him, and he'll finally come running to me."

"But, Pizzazz –," Stormer tried pleading with her, but it was of no use. She realized just how delusional Pizzazz had become when came to Riot.

"You can see yourself out, Stormer," Pizzazz instructed her as she turned and disappeared into the long hallways of the Gabor Mansion.

"Yeah, I'll see myself out alright," she puffed under her breath.


	8. Chapters 23-27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

 _The couple discovered the body along the Malibu shore early this morning. Police are still investigating whether it was a homicide or accidental drowning. They will be looking into any local missing persons reports._

"Yikes!" Aja commented as she reached for the remote to turn off the news. Suddenly, Jerrica and Riot burst through the door. "What are you guys doing here? I thought you'd be at the Bowl first thing in the morning," a surprised Aja greeted them.

"Aja, we have a problem," Jerrica quickly replied as she ran to Synergy's room.

"What is it, Jerrica?" A look of worry suddenly came across Aja's face.

"Someone broke into Jerrica's house this morning," Riot explained, following Jerrica down the hallway. "They took her earrings."

"What?!" Aja cried, trailing behind.

A stunned Riot stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw Jerrica walk through the holographic wall. "She just walked through that wall," he gaped.

"I hope she told you," Aja remarked. A stunned Riot nodded. "Come on," she urged him to follow her through the wall. "Don't worry, it won't hurt that pretty head of hair of yours," she joked. Riot hesitated, but eventually followed Aja into Synergy's secret room.

"You must be, Riot," the super computer greeted him. He nodded in awe of what he was witnessing.

"N-n-nice to meet you," he nervously greeted the super computer back.

"Don't worry, Synergy," Jerrica replied. "You can trust Riot not to say anything about you."

He nodded in agreement. "She's magnificent," he marveled.

"Did she happen to mention that he's quite the lady's man?" Aja jokingly said to the purple image on the large computer screen.

"Synergy, we need to locate the Jem star earrings," Jerrica began. "They were stolen and –,"

"Yes, I know, Jerrica," Synergy quickly interjected. "The sensors on the earrings alert me when they are not being worn. If the voice sensors do not detect _your_ voice, its holographic capabilities are shut down," she explained.

Jerrica sighed in relief. "Well that's good to know Synergy," she replied. "But we need to find them! Is there any way you can detect where they're at right now?"

"I can detect the closest satellite to the earrings' proximity, but I cannot pinpoint their exact location," she replied as the screen switched from Synergy's image to a radar showing their whereabouts within a five-mile radius.

"This is no use," Jerrica cried. "They could be anywhere in the city."

"But they are turned off, correct . . . Synergy?" Riot tried to comfort her, taken aback by the fact he just spoke to a computer.

"Yes, Riot," the computer responded.

"It'll buy us sometime until we can search for it," he reassured her.

"No, Riot," she cried. "Without those earrings, there is _no_ Jem!"

"Of course there is," he countered. "It's your voice, Jerrica," he reminded her.

"No! I can't go on stage," she retorted.

"Yes, you can," he pleaded with her. "I've heard you sing, Jerrica."

"And what? Introduce ourselves as Jerrica and the Holograms?" she quipped.

"You don't need a super computer's capabilities to put on a pink wig and makeup, do you?" he asked.

"I can't," she protested.

"Yes, you can," Riot interjected. "I've seen you perform without a disguise."

"Are you saying I should make it known to the world that I'm Jem?" she asked him.

"No, not at all," he reassured her. "But there is no reason why you need a hologram to be who you are."

"I don't know," Jerrica mumbled. She knew he was right, but the thought of performing on stage without Synergy's help scared her.

"He's right, Jerrica," Aja chimed in. "It's just one song. You _can_ perform as Jem without Synergy's hologram."

Jerrica felt outnumbered, but they were right. There was no reason for her not to perform without Synergy's help. It wasn't like the first time she had lost those earrings when the Holograms were in China. They were still new to the music scene and Jerrica suffered from stage fright back then. Being Jem appeased her phobia of the stage. After a few years and hundreds of shows later, the stage wasn't as intimidating to her as before.

"I'll be right there with you," Riot assured her. "Just look for me in the crowd and pretend I'm the only one there," he said. "You can even imagine me in nothing, but my underwear," he whispered to her. She giggled at the thought.

Jerrica sighed. "Well, if I'm going to do this, I guess _I_ should practice with the Holograms before this afternoon's concert," she looked longingly at Riot.

"And don't worry, we'll find your earrings," he hugged her. "I'll make sure of it."

Aja watched from across the room and smiled. She had her doubts about Riot, but after seeing them together for the last few weeks, she could see how he had won Jerrica over. He had finally won her approval too.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

 _Ding_. The elevator doors on the 30th floor at Stingers Sound opened.

"Where have you been?" Rapture eagerly greeted her bandmate.

"Rapture, it's still a holiday you know," Minx yawned. "A girl deserves her beauty sleep on a holiday," she continued as she flicked her hair.

"Riot's finally in his office," Rapture said, changing the subject.

"You're not just going to walk in there and tell him about last night, are you?" Minx wondered.

"He's going to ask me about Stormer," Rapture replied. "He saw us talking at the mansion yesterday."

"Forget about Stormer," Minx interjected. "Are you going to confront him about Jerrica being Jem?"

Rapture sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to poke the lion."

"Before you do, you better be sure you're right about Jem," Minx cautioned her. "It all does make sense though. And as his bandmates, we have a right to know the truth!"

Before Minx could continue, Rapture was well on her way towards Riot's office. "Hello?" she announced herself before entering. The door was slightly ajar.

"See to it that you find it," Riot sternly replied into the phone just as the other two Stingers walked into his office.

"There you are!" Rapture stormed in with Minx in tow. "Where have you been?"

"I apologize," Riot murmured as he hung up the receiver. "It's been a hectic morning."

"Are you cheating on Jerrica, or is Jerrica really Jem?" Minx cut to the chase, much to Rapture's surprise.

Riot was speechless. "I-I-," he muttered, unsure of how to respond, but his silence spoke volumes.

"We followed the Misfits to Jem's house in Malibu last night after we left Jerrica's," Minx revealed.

"I told you two I could handle the Misfits!" he reprimanded them.

"So you knew they were following you all over town yesterday?" Rapture primed him.

"Well," the lead Stinger muttered.

"We've been following them following you to keep them from causing any more trouble for us," Minx admitted.

"So is Jerrica really Jem?" Rapture repeated. "Or are the Misfits right about you seeing Jem behind her back?"

"What would draw you to such a conclusion?" he snapped back.

"Which conclusion are you referring to?" Minx raised her eyebrow at him.

"I knew it!" Rapture proclaimed. "It all makes sense now! Jerrica _is_ the one behind Jem, isn't she?"

Riot couldn't lie. His bandmates knew him all too well. "Ladies," he began, regaining some composure, "before you begin drawing conclusions –,"

"We know Jerrica _is_ Jem, Riot" Rapture interrupted him. "It all makes sense now. Rio, you dating Jem one day and then the next day Jerrica, the photo in the paper, Jem showing up at the beach house, and Jerrica's suddenly not at the mansion at midnight last night."

"We called the mansion last night to talk to you about Stormer. Aja said you had left and that Jerrica went to meet you," Minx revealed. "But instead of Jerrica arriving at the beach house, it was _Jem_!"

"So unless the three of you are doing a little menage a trois, then we knew it had to be Jerrica," Rapture added.

"Have you said a word of this to anyone?" he questioned them.

"No, we haven't," Rapture assured him.

"I'm not confirming nor denying what you both just alluded to," Riot responded, "but what you have told me needs no repeating outside of this office. Do you two understand?"

"We understand," Minx and Rapture replied in unison.

"The last thing we need is for any of the Misfits to catch on," he remarked.

"Speaking of the Misfits," Rapture interjected, "what do you suppose we do about them now? After all, we're not the only ones who saw _Jem_ meeting you at midnight last night."

Riot sighed. "Are you sure they saw Jem? Perhaps they could have mistaken her for Jerrica?"

"Well, it was pretty dark outside," Minx replied. "We only knew it was Jem because of the night vision goggles that Techrat gave me."

"Night vision goggles?" Riot repeated, slightly amused, slightly annoyed.

"They're pretty impressive if you ask –," Minx began.

"I don't have time to discuss Techrat's new contraption," he retorted.

"A little testy today?" Rapture hesitantly inquired.

"I have a full plate," he sighed as he turned and stared longingly out the window that faced Starlight Music.

"So what can we do to help?" Minx chirped.

"For starters, no more following the Misfits around," he instructed them. "But if you so happen to see them near Stingers Sound or the concert tonight, please notify security immediately. I don't want them anywhere near Jerrica and the Holograms."

"Jerrica and the Holograms," Minx amusingly repeated. "That has quite an interesting sound to it."

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

"LYNX just took the stage," Kimber announced as she entered the Holograms' dressing room.

The Hollywood Bowl Fourth of July concert was underway, displaying the brightest new talents from Stingers Sound and Starlight Music. Of course, any Stingers Sound or Starlight event wouldn't be complete without the labels' biggest bands, the Stingers and Jem and The Holograms. While the Stingers were the surprise opening performance, Jem and the Holograms were slated to be the surprise ending performance. For Jerrica Benton, this wasn't just another music event. It was her musical debut as lead singer of the Holograms without the help of Synergy's Jem hologram.

"Are you okay, Jerrica?" Raya asked, noticing their lead singer staring at her reflection in the mirror. However, it wasn't _her_ reflection, it was Jem's.

Jerrica sighed. "I'm alright, Raya," she replied, snapping back into reality.

"Don't worry, you'll do just fine, Sis," Kimber comforted her.

"Riot's right," Aja chimed in. "You don't need a Hologram. You've got the talent to do this."

"And we'll be right there with you," Shana added.

"Thank you, ladies," Jerrica smiled. "Synergy or no Synergy, I couldn't do this without you four," she said as they all gathered together for a group hug.

"Ahem, am I interrupting?" It was Riot.

"Hi, Riot," Shana, Aja, Raya and Kimber all said in unison.

"Great job tonight!" Kimber complimented him.

"Thank you, Kimber," he smiled. "Would it be alright if I had a moment alone with Jerrica, I mean, Jem?" he smiled.

"Of course," Aja replied as all four Holograms headed towards the door.

"We'll be in the refreshments lounge if you need us," Shana said to him as they exited the dressing room. Riot gave her a polite nod.

Once they were alone, he approached Jerrica who had sat back down at the vanity. "How are you feeling, my lovely?" he asked, kneeling down beside her.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she sighed.

"Well, the girls surely did a wonderful job with your hair and make-up." He was impressed with their work, making her look exactly like their famous lead singer. Jerrica cracked a smile. "You'll do just fine," Riot reassured her. "Just remember, _you_ are Jem."

"I don't think I could do this without all the encouragement you've given me," she said turning to him.

He smiled. "Oh, I think you could, but something's missing."

"What is it?" Jerrica wondered.

"These." Riot pulled out a box from his coat pocket.

Jerrica gasped as she opened it. "You found them!"

"No," he sadly replied. Unfortunately, these are not the ones from your father," he explained, sensing her disappointment. "I had these made for you until we can locate the real ones. I've instructed my assistant to have our interns search every jewelry store, pawn shop, and yard sale in town for them."

"You did?" Jerrica was surprised to learn the extent of Riot's search for her earrings.

"What are interns for?" he joked. "Plus, I gave them a little incentive to find them and return them to me."

"What kind of incentive?" she curiously asked.

"Minx and Rapture have been pleading with me to hire assistants for each of them," he smirked.

Jerrica laughed. "Thank you," she whispered as she leaned in to kiss him.

"Pizzazz was right!" someone interrupted. It was Rio.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Riot demanded to know. "Don't you have the common decency to knock?"

"You're asking me about common decency?" Rio barked back. "You're the one cheating on Jerrica!"

"Rio, it's not what you think!" Jerrica chimed in.

"Oh save it, Jem!" he retorted. "I should have known! You've always been jealous of Jerrica's life. It's no wonder why you've been so hush-hush about your _own_ life."

"Excuse me?" Jerrica muttered.

"Oh, Pacheco!" Riot interjected. "It amazes me how you can manage to walk and breathe at the same time."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" he snapped at the Stinger.

"None of this concerns you," Riot spitefully replied. "Why don't you leave now and I'll spare you the embarrassment of having security escort you out," he warned.

"I'm not leaving until you both come clean with Jerrica," he protested. "She may be naïve enough to believe you have sincere feelings for her, but –,"

"Rio, I _am_ Jerrica!" the pink-haired singer blurted out loud.

"What are you talking about?" a confused Rio replied. "You're Jem!"

"No," Jerrica corrected him. "I'm Jerrica. I've always been Jerrica."

"Huh?" Rio was dumbfounded.

"Jem has always been Jerrica in disguise, you fool!" Riot bluntly revealed to him.

Rio stood motionless, trying to digest the words he just heard. "After all this time, Jem has really been you?" he finally managed to say to her.

"Yes, Rio," Jerrica admitted. "Jem has been me all this time."

"But why didn't you tell me?" he questioned her. "Why did you make me believe you were two different people for so long?"

"I didn't do it on purpose," she revealed. "I was afraid to tell you because of how you would react."

"Jerrica, you could have told me," Rio replied.

"But you would have hated me!" she added.

"No, I couldn't hate you, Jerrica," he explained. "You're right that I would have gotten mad, but I would have forgiven you. I loved you too much. I still love you," he admitted much to Jerrica's surprise.

"Is that why you couldn't keep your hands off Jem yourself when you thought they were two different people?" Riot interrupted, reminding him of his own deceit.

Rio began to fume. It took everything strength of his own willpower not to give Riot a black eye at that moment. However, he knew the Stinger was right. In the eyes of everyone who didn't know about Jem's true identity, Rio was a cheater himself.

"Is that why you left me for _him_?" he said turning to Jerrica. She was silent.

"I'm sorry I deceived you for so long, Rio," Jerrica finally replied. "But it wasn't just about you. We've _both_ changed in the last three years. But let me reassure you, there was nothing naïve about my relationship with Rory!"

"I-I didn't mean to make it sound that way," he explained. "I was –,"

"Riot!" Kimber suddenly came charging into the dressing room.

"What is it, Kimber?" he asked, sounding a bit calmer than he did moments ago.

The Hologram was caught off guard by Rio's presence and momentarily forgot why she came rushing into the room. "Uh, it's Pizzazz. She's here!"

"What?" Riot snapped. "I instructed security not to let her or the other Misfits in."

"Apparently she managed to sneak in," Kimber told him much to his chagrin. "Minx and Rapture saw her, but couldn't stop her before she disappeared somewhere in the Bowl. Security's looking for her now."

"Oh no!" Rio retorted as he quickly left the dressing room and disappeared down the hallway.

Kimber, Jerrica and Riot were stunned by his sudden reaction. "What's up with him?" Kimber inquired.

"I told him," Jerrica replied.

"You told him about what?" the redhead asked skeptically. "Oh!" she remarked as soon as she realized what her sister meant. "Is that why he left in a hurry?"

"We have no clue," Jerrica shrugged. "Do you think it had something to do with Pizzazz?" she asked turning to Riot.

He looked thoughtful. "I'll leave you two to talk and get ready for your performance. I'll see to it that this Pizzazz situation is handled and Pacheco doesn't say a word of this to anyone," he replied, referring to Jerrica's secret.

"Thank you," Jerrica smiled as she squeezed his hand.

"Everything will be just fine," he reassured her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the dressing room.

"I wonder what kind of trouble Pizzazz is up to now," Kimber murmured.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

"We need to talk," Rio discretely whispered into Pizzazz's ear as he grabbed her arm and led her to a private corner, away from the backstage chaos.

"Ouch!" Pizzazz snapped. "I didn't think you could be that feisty," she purred.

He pretended not to hear her. "What are you going to do with that video from last night?" he demanded to know.

"I have no idea what you're talking about?" she replied. "I'm just here to have a little fun!" she added with a laugh.

"I'm telling you, Pizzazz, you cannot show that video!" he adamantly told her.

"And what if I do? You can't stop me!" she challenged him. "Plus, isn't breaking up Riot and your sweet Jerrica what you want?"

Rio paused. Yes, he wanted Jerrica and Riot apart. It pained him to see her with the man he loathed so much. However, he knew it would pain him more knowing he helped to embarrass her in front of thousands of people after discovering she and Jem were the same person. As angry as he was at her for keeping such a huge secret from him after all these years, he still cared for her and wouldn't hurt her on purpose.

"Yes, but not at the expense of humiliating Jerrica in front of all these people," he admitted.

"Humiliate Jerrica?" Pizzazz wondered. "If I were Jerrica, I would be thanking you. If anything, Jem and Riot should be the ones humiliated."

"I thought you were in love with Riot," Rio questioned her.

"Yeah, so," she quickly replied.

"Well you sure have a sick and twisted way of showing it," he insulted her. Pizzazz was clueless about what he meant.

"When Jerrica finds out the truth and Jem is too humiliated to be seen with him, he'll come running back to me," she confidently explained. Rio was dumbfounded. He knew Pizzazz had a crazy side, but he didn't realize she was borderline psychotic.

"What is the meaning of all this?" Riot demanded to know as he appeared with two security guards. "What's going on with you and Pizzazz, Pacheco?"

Before either one could reply, they overheard the loudspeaker instruct Jem and the Holograms to get ready to take the stage. Pizzazz broke out into a wicked laugh.

"It's too late," she whispered into Rio's ear, just loud enough for Riot to overhear.

"What's too late?" Riot demanded to know. "What are you up to, Pizzazz?" he confronted her. She remained silent. "If you don't answer me, Pizzazz, I'll see to it that you and your band of miscreants never record another album again in this town. That's a promise," he threatened her.

"Oh, Riot," she began. "You're pretty sexy when you're angry," she teased. Her flirtations were clearly not helping as Riot began to fume.

"Tell him, Pizzazz!" Rio yelled at her. "Tell him what you're up to!"

"What _I'm_ up to?" she replied trying to sound innocent. " _I'm_ not up to anything. Why don't _you_ tell him? After all, you're the one who's after _both_ his ladies," she laughed.

"You're the one who brought the tape in here!" he remarked.

"What tape?" Riot angrily asked.

"The tape of you and Jem last night," Rio answered.

Riot was taken aback. "I was with Jerrica."

"It was after that," Pizzazz revealed. "You know, when you and Jem met up at her house in Malibu, or is it Jerrica's?" she wondered out loud. "It's a pretty cute house by the way."

"What exactly is on the tape, Pizzazz?" he demanded to know.

"See for yourself," she answered. "It should come on the big screen just as Jem and the Holograms are finished with their song."

Riot quickly turned to his security team. "Tell the visual team to cut off all feed into the projector," he instructed them. "We need to find that tape!"

"Are you looking for this tape?" Stormer quickly appeared, holding up a VHS.

"Where did you get that, Stormer?" Pizzazz was stunned.

"Let's just say I took someone's advice and stayed ahead of the game," the blue-haired Misfit mocked her as Craig quickly appeared beside his sister, wearing a fake mustache and beard, and slowly began revealing his face to everyone.

Pizzazz flashed back to moments ago when she handed the tape along with an envelope of cash to a blue-haired man with a beard in the audio and visual room. She shrieked. "You just cost your brother any chance of getting a job in the town ever!" she yelled. "And don't ever bother calling yourself a Misfit ever again!"

"I guess now would be a good time to tell you that I quit!" Stormer happily revealed.

"Oh, yeah? What are you and your brother going to do now? Sing on the corner for pennies?" Pizzazz snidely remarked. "Only losers do that!"

"You would be surprised," Riot cleverly remarked, referring to the Stingers singing on the streets of Germany for pennies not too long ago.

"Actually," Craig interjected. "You're looking at the new executive producer for Stingers Sound," he proudly announced, turning to Riot to give him a quick smirk. The Stinger happily nodded. "And my first project will be producing a new album for Mary Phillips. Heard of her?" Craig smiled. Pizzazz shrieked once more.

"Get them out of here," Riot said turning to his security guards just as Jem and the Holograms were about to take the stage. "I have a concert to get to," he said, glaring at Rio and Pizzazz as they were led out of the venue.

"You'll regret this," she spitefully turned to Stormer.

"I guarantee she won't," Craig chimed in.

"Thank you, both," Riot said, turning to the siblings once Rio and Pizzazz were gone.

"Anything for friends," Craig smiled as he and Riot shook hands.

"You may want this," Stormer added, handing Riot the tape.

"What's even on this?" Riot wondered.

Craig began to laugh. "It's pretty funny actually."

"Really funny," Stormer commented. "Roxie had turned on the audio recorder and recorded everything that was said in the car while they were spying on you and Jerrica last night, but forgot to take the cap off the lens."

Riot was relieved.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

 _I got freedom, freedom_

 _I live in the U.S.A._

 _I got freedom, freedom_

 _And no one can take it away_

 _I've got freedom, freedom, freedom_

 _I've got freedom_

"Happy Independence Day, everybody!" Jem yelled to the crowd as the audience erupted into cheers and applause.

She turned to one special guest in the crowd and winked. He winked back. Riot couldn't be any prouder as he watched Jerrica channel her rock star persona without the help of any holograms. It was truly _her_ in her element and she rocked the crowd just as well as if Synergy had been projecting the Jem hologram the entire time.

As the Holograms exited the stage, Riot quickly made his way backstage to greet them. "Wonderful performance, ladies, as always!" he cheered.

"Thank you, Riot!" they all answered back as they made their way back to their dressing room.

"And you," he said, turning to Jerrica, who was last off the stage, with a huge grin, "I couldn't be more proud."

"I couldn't be luckier," she replied as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss.

"Get a room you two," Aja teased as she and rest of the Holograms disappeared into their dressing room.

Riot smirked. "She's right," he replied. "We should either get a room or you should change back into Jerrica before anyone notices I'm kissing the wrong girl," he teased.

"Right now, I don't even care," Jerrica beamed, still reeling from the adrenaline rush of being on stage. "I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I just feel like shouting to the world who I really am."

"About that Jerrica," Riot sighed, subtly caressing her hands with his as he tried to find the courage to tell her about Minx and Rapture.

"No, I want to say something first," Jerrica interrupted him. He was all ears. "Your support and encouragement has meant the world to me. I couldn't have gotten on that stage just like this without you," she smiled. "I know Minx and Rapture are like sisters to you, so I couldn't imagine how hard it must be for you to keep my secret from them. Knowing that and all the encouragement you've given me makes me realize there's no one in this world I can trust more than you. I love you, Rory Llewelyn."

With those words, Riot's heart sank. He wanted to be honest with her about his bandmates. Riot had always been honest with her. But at that moment, the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint her, especially after the fiasco with her earrings and Rio. He had finally gained her complete trust in him and wasn't about to lose it over Minx and Rapture's antics. Jerrica meant everything to him.

"I love you too, Jerrica Benton," Riot whispered, looking longingly at her dressed as Jem, reminding him of the first time he saw her.

"Now, I should really change out of this before someone actually sees us," Jerrica smiled, pulling her hands away from him. "But what was it that you wanted to tell me?" she inquired.

"Umm," he began, thinking of something to say. "It was about Pizzazz and Rio."

"Did you ever find them?" she quickly asked.

"It's taken of," he replied. "Pizzazz should no longer be a nuisance to us."

"What about Rio?" she asked once more.

"I think he just needs time to digest everything," Riot explained. "I would be upset too if I lost you," he added.

"You'll never lose me," she assured him as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You can collect a real kiss from me later," she said before heading to her dressing room to change back into herself.

"That's my girl," he smiled as he watched her disappear through the dressing room door.

* * *

 _Stay tuned for NOW - Part III: Little Lies as the Holograms get ready for a wedding, Riot and Jerrica's relationship is at odds, life without Pizzazz and Eric Raymond is short-lived, an unlikely alliance is made, and the truth behind Emmett Benton's past with the military is revealed, changing Jerrica and the Holograms' future forever._


End file.
